Gandapur’s statement ‘attack on federation’: Khwaja Asif

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that the statement made by Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is an attack on the federation.

Speaking in the National Assembly, the defence minster said that “The KP chief minister’s statement regarding direct negotiations with Afghanistan is an attack on the federation.”

In this regard, the minister stated that provincial governments were not authorities to formally pursue a direct negotiation with foreign countries.

It should be noted that the CM Gandapur had reflected on this matter during his address to bar lawyers in Peshawar, stating “I stated in an apex committee that, given our shared language and a 12 KM border, I can better negotiate with Afghanistan on certain issues. However, no one seems serious about our issues.”

He had stated that “you keep your policies to yourself; as a head of the province, I will send delegation to resolve all the issues with Afghanistan”

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He also said that “It would be good if you support my plan to send a provincial delegation to negotiate with the Afghan interim government. However, if not, it will be very good for me to personally address my public’s matters.”