PESHAWAR: A day after he and his party came out all guns blazing against a military offensive in Bajaur — which he claimed was launched without taking the province on board — Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Wednesday appeared to throw his full weight behind a “targeted operation” against militants.
On Tuesday, the Bajaur administration imposed a three-day curfew in several places in the district as an operation against militants was launched in the areas, prompting a fiery response from the CM.
CM Gandapur, who has been opposed to the idea of fresh military operations in the province, said in a heavily-edited video message issued after the KP apex committee meeting that the forces were in the province at the request of the KP government and should be treated as “guests” and with respect.
He pointed out that militants tend to take shelter in residential areas, from where they targeted the security forces, while retaliation by the forces to root them out results in collateral damage.
“They are doing this to create distrust between the people and the armed forces. This is why we need to expel them from our cities. We will not tolerate their presence in populated areas.”
He said the militants would not be allowed to hide inside residential areas and action would be taken against them and their facilitators. He emphasised that public support was essential in the fight against terrorism and praised the police and the security forces for their role in eradicating terrorism.
Jirgas from Aug 2
CM Gandapur also said that jirgas at the divisional level would start on August 2, with all stakeholders coming together to alleviate people’s reservations and concerns.
“Following these jirgas, there will be a grand jirga, where we will present our policy, a plan and future steps and discuss it with stakeholders and government officials,” he said, while expressing his opposition to any major offensive that could lead to mass displacement. He, however, reiterated that action would be taken in case militants were present in any area. He said their strategy would also ensure that no collateral damage would occur.
“In order to avoid any damages while eliminating militancy, we will go with the action plan which will not cause any loss to life and property,” he said.
The CM blamed the ‘enemy countries’ for conspiring against Pakistan as well as orchestrating deliberate campaigns to sow distrust between the government, the public, and the security forces, saying the “conspiracy must be exposed and countered”.
‘Concerted efforts’
Separately, a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat read that the meeting agreed that public trust must be secured to effectively counter militancy. The participants underscored the need for enhanced coordination among civil administration, police, security forces, and intelligence agencies to carry out decisive operations.
It read that during the meeting, the participants unanimously acknowledged that militancy had become a threat that could only be eliminated through concerted efforts by the government, the public, and state institutions. They noted that militants were a common enemy and all stakeholders desired their elimination, the statement read.
The meeting, chaired by CM Gandapur, was also attended by Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, KP police chief Zulfiqar Hameed, Additional Chief Secretary Abid Majeed, Peshawar’s Corps Commander Lieutenant General Syed Omer Ahmad Bukhari, lawmakers from the merged districts, and senior government officials.
‘U-turn’ on operation
The video statement on Wednesday came in complete contrast to the one issued by CM Gandapur on Tuesday night following a PTI parliamentary meeting, in which he vowed to take stringent measures, such as the withdrawal of the Action in Aid of Civil Power Regulations 2011.
He had said the KP Assembly would discuss if the armed forces’ presence in the province under the said ordinance had borne fruitful results or harmed trust between people and the armed forces.
“The KP government, workers of founder PTI Imran Khan, stand by the people and we will go to any extent. I direct all the deputy commissioners not to impose curfew unless permitted by the KP home department,” CM Gandapur had said in his fiery video message. He said that innocent civilians were martyred in a military offensive launched against militants in Bajaur district, adding that such operations had a negative impact and eroded trust between people and the forces.
Though the CM took a U-turn, his party, the ruling PTI, denounced the Bajaur operation, alleging that the decision bypassed the constitutionally elected government and it was nothing but a “dangerous replay of past mistakes”.
PTI opposes operation
PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram, in a statement on Wednesday, lambasted the government for “squandering” the hard-won peace.
He urged the government to recognise the growing anger and resentment among the people of KP. “This repetition of failed strategies while expecting different outcomes is the height of strategic insanity,” he said, adding, “Such reckless actions will only deepen the alienation of an already traumatised and marginalised population, with catastrophic consequences for both this government and the nation’s stability.”
Ikram Junaidi in Islamabad also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2025