Peshawar, Mar 20 (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has said that he will not allow any operation by the security forces in the province as for every terrorist being killed here, more are coming from Afghanistan.

In an interview with a private TV channel, Gandapur emphasised that his provincial government will not permit any operation in the province because as many terrorists are being eliminated, an equal number are crossing over from Afghanistan.

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Gandapur stated that an estimated 9,500 to 11,500 militants have already entered their areas, while twice as many could be present across the border. “Operations are no solution to the security problem that Pakistan is facing today,” he said.

He added that if the people stand with them and their intentions remain pure, they will be able to handle the situation.

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The chief minister further said that the National Security Committee meeting held two days ago was more of a presentation than a discussion.

He said that if terrorism could be eradicated merely through presentations and statements, it would have been done by now, emphasising that negotiations, not force, are the key to resolving the issue.

He said that there was no discussion about Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan at the National Security Committee meeting.

Gandapur said that Imran Khan must be released from prison to make progress on security issues. Khan has been in jail since August 2023 in multiple cases.

Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are planned on Afghan soil.

The Taliban-led Afghanistan government, however, has denied the claim, saying it is not responsible for Pakistan's “security failure”.

The chief minister, replying to another question, said that still there is “good Taliban” present in the province whereas the attack on Bannu Cantonment earlier this month was perpetrated by the “bad Taliban” who were once considered “good Taliban”.

He further explained that Hafiz Gul Bahadar and Noor Wali Mehsud were “good Taliban” before but now they became “bad Taliban”. “We have to review our policy regarding Taliban,” he said.

He further said that “good Taliban are those who surrendered to the government's writ, therefore they should not be penalised. Rather we should have hope that they will win this war against terror for us”.

The concept of good and bad Taliban was developed during the tenure of the Awami National Party (ANP) government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2008.

However, in 2013 the ANP demanded from the then establishment to shun the notion of good and bad Taliban and treat all equally.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, Hafiz Gul Bahadar and Commander Nazir were considered “good Taliban” in the past because of their support to the establishment and the then governments.

Gandapur also said for the first time that the attack on military installations on May 9, 2023, was against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) policy. “There should have been no attacks on the military installations,” he said.

However, he added the party workers who crossed the line on May 9 had not committed such a big mistake that they are being tried by the military courts.

Gandapur said Afghan refugees should be sent back to their country under a proper procedure, adding “I am against sending them like animals”.

He said Afghan nationals should be given Pakistan nationality as by doing so they could bring three to four billion investments to the country.

At least 12 persons, including four children, were killed and 30 injured as two explosive-laden vehicles rammed into the boundary wall of the main cantonment in Bannu in northwest Pakistan on March 4. As many as 16 attackers were killed in the Bannu attack.

The suicide bombers hit the wall of Bannu Cantonment, about 200 kms south-west of Peshawar, in the evening around sunset time, police said.

Hafiz Gul Bahadur-affiliated little known Jaish Al Fursan, in a statement, claimed the attack in Bannu. The group is one of the several factions of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. PTI AYZ

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)