Pakistani province offers to help build cancer hospital in Afghanistan
KP shares a long and porous border with Afghanistan and maintains strong cultural and linguistic ties with Pashtun populations across the frontier.
The province has also experienced a major surge in militant violence in recent months, with Pakistani officials frequently accusing armed groups based in Afghanistan of orchestrating cross-border attacks, a claim the Taliban government in Kabul denies.
'Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur held an important meeting with Afghanistan's Ambassador Sardar Ahmad Shakib, during which bilateral relations, mutual cooperation and regional stability were discussed in detail,' the KP administration said in a statement.
'Gandapur offered assistance in establishing a cancer hospital in Afghanistan and assured full support in the agricultural sector [to Kabul] as well,' it added. 'He expressed his commitment that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is ready to play every possible role in the welfare of the Afghan people.'
Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan became strained in 2023 when Islamabad launched a major crackdown on undocumented migrants, most of them Afghans, citing security concerns.
While Pakistan's federal administration and military adopted a tough posture toward Kabul, it was widely reported in the local media that the KP government wanted diplomatic engagement with Afghan Taliban, signaling an interest in negotiated cooperation.
The two sides have recently sought to reset relations and agreed to appoint ambassadors following a China-facilitated tripartite meeting this year.
Saturday's discussion also emphasized the deep cultural and ethnic links between the two countries, with both sides agreeing that these bonds should be strengthened through mutual respect and cooperation.
The statement said Gandapur plans to send a special delegation to Afghanistan 'to serve as a bridge between the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan and to promote trust and harmony.'
Ambassador Shakib expressed appreciation for the KP government's support for Afghan refugees and reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing bilateral ties through peaceful and people-centric initiatives.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan to create new paramilitary force ahead of more protests by Imran Khan's party
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Monday it was creating a national paramilitary force, prompting concern among opposition parties and human rights groups that it could be used as a tool of political repression. The move turns an existing paramilitary force deployed on Pakistan's northwestern border with Afghanistan into a national security force that will be called the Federal Constabulary, State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry told a press conference in the eastern city of Faisalabad. Its new duties will include internal security, riot control and counter-terrorism, according to a copy of the amended law reported by the local Dunya News TV. The announcement came after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan said it would stage nationwide protests starting on August 5, the second anniversary of his arrest. Several such protests since his August 2023 arrest have turned violent, in some cases paralysing the capital Islamabad for days. 'This will be a new force. This will be a stronger force. We need this force for internal security,' Chaudhry said, adding that President Asif Ali Zardari had already approved amendments in the law introducing changes in the paramilitary force. The new force replaces the Frontier Constabulary (FC), whose cadres were previously recruited only from tribes in the northwestern province, Chaudhry said. Training of the new force will bring it into line with other national law enforcement agencies, he added. Khan's party spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari said the changes should be subject to parliamentary discussion. The new force 'should not be used as a gimmick to silence political opponents, as has been previously witnessed when the government applied such laws against a large number of the PTI leadership and supporters,' he said. His concern was echoed by Haris Khalique, secretary of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent body. 'We are alarmed by the changes being made to the security and law enforcement structure of the country without any debate in parliament,' Khalique said.
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistani PM's aide warns Imran Khan's party against stirring ‘instability' with protest drive
ISLAMABAD: A top political adviser to Pakistan's prime minister on Monday warned jailed former premier Imran Khan's political party against inciting unrest during a newly announced protest movement to demand his release, as political tensions in the country continue to intensify. Khan, who was ousted from office in a parliamentary vote in April 2022, has been jailed for nearly two years on multiple charges, which he and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party insist are politically motivated. PTI currently holds power in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and has previously led a number of protest marches toward the capital, Islamabad. On July 13, PTI launched its latest agitation campaign, describing it as a 90-day 'do-or-die' protest. The announcement followed the suspension of 26 PTI lawmakers in Punjab and the Supreme Court's rejection of the party's bid to reclaim reserved parliamentary seats for minorities and women. 'They have now planned a program lasting over 90 days. In this, if they remain peaceful, it's fine, it's their democratic right,' Rana Sanaullah, adviser to the prime minister on political and public affairs, said in an interview with a local news channel. 'And if they take the law in their hands and try to create instability in the country then definitely the law will take its course.' Sanaullah also accused Khan's party of bypassing the government and seeking intervention from the military, commonly referred to in Pakistan as 'the establishment.' 'They did not talk about speaking with the government [to resolve their issues],' he added. 'They want to speak to the establishment, they are trying to straighten out their affairs through them.' The latest protest drive was finalized at a meeting in Lahore on July 12, attended by PTI leader and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur who alleged that the PTI was being denied its right to peaceful protest. He vowed that the party would mobilize supporters nationwide before marching toward the capital. Earlier this month, Khan's sister announced that his sons, Sulaiman and Kasim, would join the protest campaign in Pakistan after returning from the United States, where they will seek to raise awareness about alleged human rights violations against Khan and his party. PTI has organized a series of nationwide demonstrations since last year, calling for Khan's release and an independent investigation into the February 2024 general elections. During one such protest in November 2024, the government said four security personnel were killed in clashes with Khan supporters, an allegation PTI denies. The government maintains that the 2024 elections were free and fair and accuses the PTI of undermining democratic processes and causing economic stability through confrontational tactics. Pakistan's military, long a powerful force in national politics, denies accusations of political interference or any role in Khan's ouster or imprisonment.
Arab News
9 hours ago
- Arab News
Public discontent grows in Pakistan's northwest province ruled by Imran Khan's party — Gallup
ISLAMABAD: A new Gallup Pakistan survey reveals a sharp decline in public satisfaction in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province where the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan has ruled for over a decade, with residents citing poor infrastructure, widespread unemployment and lack of accountability The findings, based on face-to-face interviews with 3,000 residents across KP's seven divisions, offer a rare look at grassroots sentiment in a province that has long been a PTI stronghold. The survey was conducted in February and March 2025, with analysis completed by June. PTI first came to power in KP in 2013 and has governed the province since. Following the last general elections in 2024, the party formed the provincial government once again, even as its founder, Imran Khan, remains in jail on multiple legal charges he says are politically motivated. 'Despite 13 years of PTI governance, even its own voters are expressing disappointment,' the Gallup survey report said. 'Up to 49 percent of PTI supporters said no recent development had taken place in their area.' A majority of respondents, 59 percent, reported rising unemployment, while 67 percent said the government had failed to create jobs or business opportunities. Basic services remain uneven: 66 percent said gas was unavailable, and 49 percent reported poor or no electricity access. Facilities for youth are especially lacking: 77 percent said they lacked access to parks, 81 percent to libraries, and 70 percent to community centers. Corruption was a recurring theme across sectors. 52 percent of respondents believe development funds were misappropriated, and just 32 percent said they were used properly. Support for accountability was high even among PTI supporters. '71 percent of respondents, including 62 percent of PTI voters, support formal investigations into alleged corruption in mega projects during PTI's rule,' Gallup Pakistan said. A further 48 percent said corruption in government departments has increased, and 40 percent believe it is more prevalent in KP than in Punjab. HEEALTH CARD YES, GANDAPUR NO The PTI's flagship health insurance scheme, the Sehat Card, remains the most popular initiative, with 83 percent of respondents, 88 percent of them PTI voters, saying it has improved health care access. Yet only 38 percent of respondents said current KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is performing better than his predecessors, and 47 percent said they would prefer to see Imran Khan in the role despite his ongoing imprisonment and legal battles. Half the respondents said Punjab's chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif is performing better than Gandapur. 'The contrast between continued support for PTI's welfare programs and disillusionment with current leadership signals a shift in political expectations,' the report observed. The disconnect between government and people on federal ties also comes up in the survey. The PTI-led government has been at odds with the federal administration since at least the 2024 election and even earlier, engaging in protests and public disputes. Yet the Gallup report shows '85 percent of KP residents favor stronger collaboration between the provincial and federal governments,' suggesting popular support for more cooperative governance. Another 60 percent of respondents said the KP government had 'wasted time in protests and demonstrations rather than focusing on governance.' The formal justice system is also under increasing public scrutiny. The survey found that 70 percent of respondents feel courts take too long to deliver justice, 50 percent consider the judiciary corrupt, and 53 percent believe court decisions are politically influenced. In contrast, traditional tribal dispute resolution mechanisms, or Jirgas, are gaining favor. '84 percent of those aware of the Jirga system support it, and 70 percent believe Jirga decisions are fair,' Gallup reported. In conclusion, the Gallup Pakistan survey shows that while PTI still enjoys loyalty from a core voter base, rising economic pressures, lack of development and demand for transparency have eroded its standing among the broader population. 'The survey offers a sobering assessment of public sentiment across KP. Despite strong backing for select welfare programs and the continued popularity of PTI among its base, citizens are increasingly frustrated with lackluster service delivery, limited job opportunities, corruption, and unfulfilled promises,' the concluding note in the survey report said. 'The overwhelming demand for accountability and equitable governance signals a critical juncture for provincial leadership and institutions.'
