Can't resolve peace talks with TV shows, says new KP governor

E-Paper | June 05, 2026

PESHAWAR: Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, the newly sworn in governor of the troubled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday admitted that ongoing peace process with the Pakistani Taliban was complicated which cannot be resolved through political talk shows on TV, DawnNews reported.

Speaking to media representatives after his oath taking ceremony held at the Governor House here, he said the state’s writ should at least be visible in peaceful areas of the province. He said rehabilitation of the terror-hit tribal people will be his top priority.

“FATA is our back-wall…we’ll have to strengthen it,” said Abbasi, vowing to take immediate steps for the development and progress in the area bordering Afghanistan.

He said his administration will work hard towards bringing back FATA in the mainstream.

“Bloodbath in the area must be stopped…we will make FATA the gateway of Afghanistan and Central Asia,” said the KP governor.

Earlier, Chief Justice Peshawar High Court (PHC) Mazhar Alam Khan administered the oath to the new governor.

The ceremony was attended, among other notables, by Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique and PML-N Secretary General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra.

Sardar Mehtab Abbasi had resigned from KP Assembly last week to assume responsibility as governor.

Sami hopeful for TTP peace talks

Meanwhile, Maulana Samiul Haq – head of the Tehreek-i-Taliban committee, who also attended the ceremony at Governor House – showed his optimism on the fate of TTP peace talks, saying a new round of the dialogue process will commence in the next couple of days.

The chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-S), who is known as “Father of Taliban” in the West, said the TTP Shura was serious in restoring peace in the country.

He urged both the sides to concentrate more on restoring peace rather than prisoners’ transfers and other issues.

Advocating Taliban militants, the cleric said the TTP did not violate the ceasefire in the last 45 days.

Commenting on the TTP infighting, he said the rift between both Mehsud Taliban groups had been ongoing for a long time. The JUI-S chief said the differences have been removed among the militants ranks.

He said the TTP Shura meeting was still ongoing and hoped that the ceasefire will be further extended soon. Maulana Samiul Haq said Governor Abbasi was a seasoned politician who will help bring peace to the province.

– Zahir Shah Sherazi contributed to the reporting

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Awan

Apr 15, 2014 08:41pm

I could not understand that why FATA is not a part of KP, Kindly think beyond what the Britishers have thought about you. Britishers created FATA to have a buffer zone but now there is no reason of FATA anymore. Provincial KP goverenment must ask the Federal government to make FATA a part of KP and end its Federal level status. Also the world is progressing and calling some region as Tribal region is actually very archaic for this modern world. Also kindly make ways to end tribal systems as it exists in African continents, in some middle eastern countries like Yemen etc and in Pakistan+ Afghanistan but the modern developed world reject this concept altogether and have already *replaced the tribal term with the word Community and group cohesiveness based on national boundaries*

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Zameer

Apr 15, 2014 08:57pm

JUI - (A, B, C, etc.) are a joke. Maulana Sherani from JUI-F had said DNA evidence was Unislamic. Maulana Ghazi an ally of JUI had made burqa obligatory on all believers in 2007 when he dressed up as a woman in red mosque. Maulana Noorani was supposedly deported from Saudi Arabia when he tried to lead his own prayers behind Imam Kaba. Fathers of the TTP, these so called molvees are enemies within.

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Karachi Wala

Apr 15, 2014 09:58pm

"Sardar Mehtab Abbasi,....admitted that ongoing peace process with the Pakistani Taliban was complicated which cannot be resolved through political talk shows on TV" And he is sure this whatever process can be resolved by begging the killers?

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nukhan

Apr 15, 2014 10:28pm

These political TV talk shows have had no impact on the political landscape. I feel that these are waste of everybody's time.

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Arshad Waheed

Apr 16, 2014 12:16am

@Karachi Wala: Sardar Mahtab khan has a proven track record of bringing varied factions together and leading them to accomplish goals. As stated in this news article, he has made "development & progress" in FATA his number one priority which shows that he fully understands what needs to be done in his new job to make Pakistan safe and prosperous. Once people of FATA are educated and employed, there is no doubt that there will be peace in the land, thus allowing Pakistan to become a true trade gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia

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Deepak

Apr 16, 2014 01:39am

@Zameer: Yup, they (mulanas) are the worst enemy of Pak not USA or India or Israel.

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ahmed

Apr 16, 2014 02:32am

Mr Awan why don,t you demand federal govt to give provincial status to Fata and its also the demand of Tribal youth http://www.dawn.com/news/1097029/tribal-youth-want-provincial-status-for-fata

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Fowez

Apr 16, 2014 02:44am

@Awan Modern world rejects the term "tribal systems"? Not so in the United States. Tribal sovereignty in the United States is the authority of indigenous tribes to govern themselves within the borders of the U.S. The federal government recognizes tribal nations as "domestic dependent nations" but do not grant full sovereignty equivalent to that of foreign nations. There are about 566 such tribes with their own goverments.

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Shahpur

Apr 16, 2014 03:35am

People should deal directly with these thugs, they are bunch or cowards, with covered faces, and should be put back in their holes. Government is in bed with these thugs, and will not do any thing to protect the people.

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sannam Jan

Apr 16, 2014 05:06am

@Awan: Awan Sb, do you think Pakistan is more develop and modern than African and some Middle Eastern countries?. I will be happy if we reach to their level in the next 50 years.

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Peshawar wala

Apr 16, 2014 11:47am

@Fowez: You are dead wrong. And misleading. The tribes live in abject poverty. On reservations. Anyone can come and go. when they please. If you can prove you are a Native Indian, and you chose to live on this reservation, you will get a Govt. stipend. And you can try to survive on it. It can barely keep body and soul together. This,..from treaties struck hundreds of years ago. They are nothing what the commenter projects them. Not governments,..tribal councils.

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