'Stop the dirty games': KP CM Gandapur lashes out at ISI, MI over militancy

Ali Amin Gandapur (Image: X)

Pakistan’s powerful military establishment, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has accused the country’s top intelligence agencies, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI), of fostering militancy and fuelling violence in the province.

He alleged at a press conference in Peshawar that militants arrested by his police often at great personal risk were later released due to pressure from intelligence officials.

Gandapur asserted that his government had cleared all militant-infested areas and carried out several operations against them. However, he alleged that the efforts of the provincial police and administration were being consistently undermined by intelligence agencies, who, he claimed, continue to protect extremists under the pretext of backing so-called “Good Taliban."

“You are embracing the so-called ‘Good Taliban’ and trying to use them in battles, but that is breaking the trust between you and the people. You are the trust of my police. It is creating a trust deficit between your government and mine," he said.

He further remarked that if the agencies intended to persist with their “dirty games,” they might as well formally enlist the militants and provide them with uniforms, warning that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would no longer tolerate continued violence.

The chief minister blamed the deteriorating security situation in the province on interference from the ISI and MI. He also alleged that whenever the KP Police apprehend militants, personnel from ISI intervene to facilitate their release.

The ISI is reportedly following a familiar pattern by destabilising PTI-ruled regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to undermine Chief Minister Gandapur and depict him as ineffective, according to top Indian intelligence sources cited by CNN-News18.

The goal, they claim, is to push him toward resignation.

Sources also noted Imran Khan’s deteriorating condition, with his sister planning to approach the International Court of Justice and calling Pakistan's current system “Asim Law,” referencing Army Chief General Asim Munir's growing influence.

The developments highlight growing rifts between Pakistan’s civilian leadership and its military-intelligence establishment amid ongoing political unrest and rising militancy.