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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), is preparing to dispatch a jirga of six to ten members to Kabul for peace talks with the Afghan interim government, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The delegation is expected to include PTI opposition leader and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Adviser to the Chief Minister of KP on Information and Public Relations Muhammad Ali Saif, along with two religious scholars and two political figures.
The move follows a jirga organised last week by the Insaf Students Federation (ISF) and Insaf Youth Wing, which urged immediate dialogue with Kabul for regional peace, stressing the role of tribal elders in any negotiations.
Supporters of the initiative argue that traditional jirgas carry cultural legitimacy in the tribal belt, offering a platform for dialogue outside formal diplomacy.
Analysts Flag Security Concerns
Analysts warn that any dialogue risks overlooking what they describe as a continued presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) operatives in Afghanistan.
They cite fresh evidence, including Afghan nationals killed while fighting alongside TTP militants in recent counterterrorism operations, and the killing of BLA commander Captain Rehman Gul, also known as Ustad Mureed, in Helmand province, as proof of militant safe havens across the border.
“Dialogue without addressing cross-border sanctuaries risks repeating past mistakes,” one security observer told local media.
Political observers remain sceptical about the jirga’s potential outcome, noting that earlier rounds of negotiations have produced little progress in curbing militancy or securing firm commitments from the Taliban-led government.
Analysts say the jirga reflects political pressure within KP to pursue dialogue, but also highlights Islamabad’s deeper frustration over Kabul’s failure to rein in armed groups.
