Gandapur says he could bring Taliban to table if tasked to do so

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Friday said that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman no longer held influence over the Taliban and had lost his ability to negotiate with them.

He asserted that if given the responsibility, he would bring the Taliban to the negotiating table, as talks remained the only viable solution to the issue.

Speaking to journalists in Islamabad over an Iftar dinner, Gandapur revealed that he had submitted a negotiation plan to the government two and a half months ago but had yet to receive a response.

“I have already proposed a plan for negotiations with the Taliban, but there has been no implementation. If I am given the task, I will engage with them and bring them to the table,” he said.

He emphasized that tribal elders had been included in the plan and that the Taliban would not refuse negotiations with them. The proposal has been sent to the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Defence, but none of them have responded so far, he added.

Gandapur reiterated that dialogue remained the only practical approach to resolving security challenges in the region and urged the government to take the matter seriously.

Gandapur said that the provincial treasury had funds to cover 15 days of salaries when his government was formed in the province one year back.

However, he said that his government achieved a budget surplus of Rs169 billion within a year through improved financial management.

Gandapur said that without imposing any new taxes, the provincial government’s revenue increased by Rs55 billion, while Rs72 billion in outstanding liabilities from the previous government were also cleared, adding that in addition to releasing funds allocated for development projects, his government approved an additional Rs30 billion for development spending.

He noted that throw forward of the province’s development programme was projected at 13.5 years, which had been reduced to four to five years.

Gandapur revealed that the province was burdened with Rs752 billion in debt when his government assumed power. “Over the past year, my government did not take on any additional loans and repaid Rs50 billion in existing debt. A Debt Management Fund worth Rs30 billion has been established, which will be increased to Rs50 billion by the end of the year,” he remarked, adding that endowment funds were created to make loss-making institutions financially self-sufficient with plans to stabilize all such entities.

He said that Sehat Card programme was reinstated and its coverage enhanced by 30 percent while reforms and improved monitoring saved Rs1 billion per month under the scheme. Commenting on the current political situation, Gandapur said Pakistan faced political instability, which cannot be resolved as long as PTI founder Imran Khan remained imprisoned. He argued that peace and stability in the region were unattainable without engaging Afghanistan in dialogue, and stressed the need for a national dialogue to resolve the country’s crises.

The dialogue, he insisted, cannot succeed without Imran Khan, whom he described as the most popular leader across all federating units. Addressing the issue of terrorism, Gandapur stated that no military operation can succeed without public support, adding that the people were not in favour of any military operation, and as elected representatives, they must reflect the public’s sentiments.