Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has admitted that “good Taliban” are still active in the province, stating that they collect extortion, set up roadblocks, and then disappear.

Speaking on a private TV programme, Gandapur claimed these militants are being provided protection and linked the recent Bannu attack to Taliban factions that had transitioned from “good” to “bad.”

Discussing Pakistan’s approach to Afghanistan, the chief minister criticised past policies, calling them flawed.

He stressed the need for dialogue with Afghanistan, highlighting that KP shares a 2,200-kilometer border with the country, much of which is no longer fully secured.

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“The fencing has been damaged or cut in multiple places, and securing such a long border is no joke,” he said.

Gandapur revealed that the KP government had sent terms of reference (TORs) to the federal government two months ago to initiate talks with Afghanistan.

He claimed he had already formed his own jirga for this purpose and had also set up a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the assassination of Maulana Hamidul Haq. He speculated that a foreign organisation might have been involved in the killing.

The chief minister accused the federal government of focusing solely on suppressing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) instead of addressing security concerns.

However, he said the establishment is on board with KP’s plans for negotiations with Afghanistan.

He announced plans to form a “grand jirga” comprising representatives from all ethnic groups to facilitate talks, arguing that “such conflicts cannot be won without public support.”

Gandapur acknowledged that the distinction between “good” and “bad” Taliban had officially ended, yet some “good Taliban” remained active and continued to receive protection.

He disclosed that former Taliban strongholds had been dismantled with the approval of the apex committee, which also decided not to tolerate any further militant activity.

“The so-called ‘good Taliban’ are those who surrendered. Once a Taliban member surrenders, they will always surrender. But even these individuals engage in extortion and roadblocks,” he added.

Addressing concerns about militant leaders, Gandapur said that figures like Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Noor Wali Mehsud were no longer operating within KP’s territory.

“They were once considered ‘good Taliban’ but have now turned into ‘bad Taliban.’ These groups claimed responsibility for the Bannu cantonment attack. We need to reassess our approach,” he said.