ISLAMABAD: Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur has said that there are “clear-cut and well-documented facts” establishing that the Afghan soil is being used for terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country.
Talking to The News, Gandapur said that TTP is operating against Pakistan from Afghanistan with the knowledge and support of the Afghan government and Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan.
Gandapur said that these facts are available not only with the provincial government but also with the federal government. “Being a former chief minister, I can confirm that both the provincial and federal governments possess concrete evidence that TTP is operating from Afghanistan for terrorism inside Pakistan, particularly in KP,” he said.
Gandapur was approached following the incumbent KP CM Suhail Afridi’s controversial statement in which he said the state should provide evidence for its claim that Afghanistan’s soil was being used for terrorism in Pakistan.
Suhail’s predecessor, Gandapur, however, maintained that the TTP, a banned terrorist organisation, is based in Afghanistan and the Afghan Taliban (TTA) as well as the Afghan government are fully aware of the presence of wanted TTP militants on their soil. “These are individuals who are involved in carrying out terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, and their presence in Afghanistan is a documented fact,” he added.
Gandapur further said that several terrorism incidents in KP involved Afghan nationals. “There have been many cases where Afghan nationals were arrested in connection with terrorist activities. Some of the suicide bombers involved in attacks and terrorists killed in KP were Afghan, while others were TTP militants,” he stated.
He stressed that these were not allegations but facts supported by evidence and official records. “This entire matter is on record. The nexus between terrorism in Pakistan, particularly TTP-led terrorism, and Afghanistan is established through facts,” he said.
At the same time, the former chief minister said he has always believed in resolving issues through dialogue. “My consistent position has been that issues should be resolved through talks- not only with Afghanistan but with all the neighbouring countries,” he said.
He acknowledged that the federal government had made efforts to engage in dialogue aimed at restoring peace. “The federal government did attempt negotiations, and the outcomes of those efforts are now emerging,” he noted. However, Gandapur emphasized that while Pakistan should strive for good relations with all countries, national security must remain paramount. “I believe Pakistan should have the best possible relations with all countries, including Afghanistan, but Pakistan’s sovereignty and stability come first. There can be no compromise on the country’s integrity and security,” he asserted.
