Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur confirmed that his government would send a delegation to Kabul after receiving what he described as a “positive message” from the Afghan authorities, signaling willingness on both sides to address key cross-border issues.
Speaking to the media in Peshawar, Gandapur said the provincial government was prepared to hold direct talks with Afghanistan’s leadership in order to find “workable solutions” to problems that have persisted along the border. “The Afghan government has conveyed a constructive message. We are ready to engage and a delegation from our side will visit Kabul for negotiations,” he stated.
The chief minister stressed that the province had borne the brunt of instability linked to developments in Afghanistan and therefore had a direct stake in peace and cooperation across the border. “The situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is inseparable from what happens in Afghanistan. For us, dialogue is not just diplomacy, it is a necessity for stability and the well-being of our people,” he remarked.
Gandapur made it clear that provincial authorities would approach the dialogue with seriousness and responsibility. He, however, criticized the recent statement of a federal minister regarding the matter, calling it “regrettable” and saying that such comments only complicated an issue that required unity and maturity at the national level.
The chief minister maintained that his government’s outreach to Afghanistan was aligned with the aspirations of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “We want peaceful borders, we want trade, and we want an environment where our citizens are not made to suffer because of mistrust or mismanagement. That can only be achieved through constructive talks,” he added.
By underscoring the need for provincial engagement with Kabul, Gandapur projected KP’s proactive stance in shaping cross-border relations. The announcement marks one of the most direct acknowledgments by the provincial government of its intent to independently pursue dialogue with Afghanistan, highlighting both the urgency of the issue and the pressure of local realities.
