KP CM says his govt will no longer tolerate presence of ‘Good Taliban’

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has stated that the province will no longer tolerate the presence of so-called “Good Taliban,” and a decision has been made to eliminate them entirely from the region.

Speaking at the provincial All Parties Conference (APC) held in Peshawar, Gandapur expressed strong concerns over the security situation and federal policies. He made it clear that no kind of military operation would be accepted in the province moving forward.

Gandapur said, “Today, I acknowledge that ‘Good Taliban’ do exist in the province. We have now decided to eradicate their presence. Anyone seen carrying weapons under the name of any institution will face immediate action—whether an individual or a group. The concept of ‘Good Taliban’ is now over and will no longer be tolerated.”

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He criticised past military operations, saying they yielded no significant results and instead harmed the province and its people.

Strongly opposing drone strikes, he said such operations in civilian areas have resulted in the loss of innocent lives and will no longer be allowed.

Gandapur also alleged that some state institutions have been supporting extremist groups labelled as ‘Good Taliban’, but the province will no longer accept this. “They must be eliminated and removed from the province immediately,” he asserted.

The APC decided to recruit 300 locals into the police force in every tribal district to help maintain peace at the local level.

Sending a clear message to the federal government, the chief minister stated that border security is the responsibility of the centre, but if it fails to fulfill this duty, the provincial government will take charge of security with its own police force.

He further emphasised that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has full rights over its mineral resources and will not hand over this authority to the federal government.

He also opposed the imposition of federal taxes on tribal areas, stating that the provincial government would not support the centre on this issue.

Gandapur concluded by declaring that no federal force will be allowed to operate in the province without first taking the provincial government into confidence.