Military operations no solution to growing threat of terrorism: Pak's KPK CM

Peshawar, Jul 24 (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Thursday declared that there is no room for so-called ‘good Taliban’ in Pakistan's northwestern province even as he ruled out any military operations as a solution to the growing threat of terrorism.

Gandapur was addressing an All-Parties Conference (APC) convened by his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) here. It was, however, boycotted by all major parties in the province.

Operations in the past yielded no meaningful results and drone strikes will no longer be tolerated in the province, Gandapur said and strongly criticized the federal government for what he called its failure to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities, particularly in maintaining border security.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bears the brunt of terrorism – mostly by Tehreek-e-Taliba Pakistan (TTP), which is believed to have links with Taliban in Afghanistan.

The PTI-sponsored APC was, however, boycotted by all other mainstream political parties including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Jamaat-ul Ulema Islam-Fazlur (JUI-F), and Awami National Party (ANP), labeling it as a political stunt.

Opposition leader Dr Ibadullah termed the APC a “symbolic gathering” and called for serious discussions to take place on the floor of the assembly.

ANP provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain dismissed the APC as a “pointless exercise.” Responding to the boycott of the APC by opposition parties, Gandapur said, “If the opposition refuses to join hands for the province’s betterment and instead supports operations, ‘good Taliban’ narratives, and closed borders, then they are simply cowards." Reiterating his stance, the chief minister made it clear that no drone attacks from any side will be accepted in the province. “The provincial government is capable of maintaining law and order, but we are being deprived of our constitutional rights,” he said. PTI AYZ NPK NPK