Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has criticised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandpur for suggesting direct negotiations with Afghanistan, saying that such comments were an “attack” on the federation.
“No province has the authority to engage in direct talks with a foreign country,” Asif said in his address to the National Assembly on Thursday.
The defence minister deemed Gandapur’s statement “poisonous” and a threat to national security.
Earlier in the day, Gandapur said he would send a delegation to Afghanistan to address the security situation in the province.
“I announce that I will speak to Afghanistan myself, I will send a delegation, I will sit down with them and resolve the issue,” he said while addressing a gathering of bar council associations in Peshawar.
The defence minister questioned the KP chief minister’s authority to suggest negotiations with Afghanistan. He emphasised that the province should not engage in such discussions, highlighting a past era of “narrow-minded” governance that they do not wish to revisit.
In his speech, Asif acknowledged the NA speaker for establishing a “commendable tradition” in the House. He added that the speaker’s actions were aimed at preserving the assembly’s “dignity,” mentioning that the opposition had previously faced challenges in representing their voices.
Asif also highlighted the “tense atmosphere” during the PTI government’s tenure, where the opposition allegedly felt marginalised.
He noted that PTI members have returned to the assembly, prompting him to reflect on the “injustices” faced during Imran Khan’s government. The defence minister claimed that their right to representation was taken away for years and he called for historical accuracy regarding such events.
He also recalled the discussions about Article 6 (high treason) of the Constitution, under which he was penalised during the PTI’s tenure. Asif claimed that he was the only member subjected to such a law.
He welcomed the returning PTI members but reminded them of the challenges faced by the opposition, including the treatment of leaders like Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, and Maryam Nawaz, as well as the “unjust detention” of Faryal Talpur at midnight.
Asif stressed the need for adhering to the parliamentary traditions established by the NA speaker, rejecting the practices set by former NA speaker Asad Qaiser. He recounted a past meeting at Qaiser’s residence attended by agents from four intelligence agencies, asserting that “the Inter-Services Intelligence was present at many meetings during the PTI government’s tenure.”
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PML-N leader Javed Latif has claimed that if a public uprising occurs, he and the nation would come together to confront KP CM Gandapur.
In his NA speech, Latif added that if state resources were used against the state, it would necessitate a response. He pointed out that the country faces “more threats from internal rebels than external forces,” highlighting that destabilising elements were visible.
Meanwhile, the Awami National Party dismissed Gandapur’s comments about negotiating with Afghanistan as mere “theatrics.”
ANP lawmaker Mian Iftikhar criticised the KP chief minister, noting that he has been accused of links to terrorist groups. Iftikhar raised concerns about Gandapur’s “tendency to make provocative statements at rallies, only to subsequently disappear,” calling it “questionable behaviour.”
