KP Assembly asks Centre to allow provincial govt to talk to Kabul

Majority of Afghan refugees have business in parts of KP, while their children study in different education institutions

By Khalid Kheshgi
April 24, 2025
An inside view of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. — AFP/File
An inside view of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. — AFP/File

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Wednesday, through a resolution, asked the federal government to allow the provincial government to hold meaningful peace talks with neighbouring Afghanistan and also extend the deadline for repatriation of Afghan refugees to their home country.

The provincial assembly resumed its session with Speaker Babar Saleem Swati in the chair. Besides other legislation, also approved various resolutions moved by treasury and opposition benches members.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA from Swat Sharafatullah in his resolution, stated that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, sharing a long border with Afghanistan, had been faced with fresh wave of militancy and insurgency, where hundreds of civilians, police and other security forces had fallen prey to terrorism.

“The federal government has failed to control the increasing militancy in the province due to its flopped policy, therefore, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government must be given a chance to hold talks with Afghan government for permanent peace in the region,” he said and added that the federal government should also review its policy with the neighboring Afghanistan.

The resolution also stated that the federal government should extend the deadline for forced repatriation and deportation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, saying that, as the majority of the Afghans had been living for the last four decades in Pakistan, and therefore, they must be given proper time in this regard.

The majority of the Afghan refugees have their business in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while their children study in different education institutions. Therefore, the provincial government must be taken into confidence over the repatriation and deportation of Afghan refugees,” the resolution added.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly also passed the Right to Access to Information (Amendment) Bill, allowing any citizen to move to the Peshawar High Court against any decision of the Right to Information Commission in the province.