Imran planned to settle TTP fighters in ex-Fata.

ISLAMABAD -- As he warAned against the dangers of destabilisation in AfghaAnisAtan, former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday revealed that his governmAent had planned to resettle banned Tehreek-i-TaliAban fighters in Pakistan's tribal districts with the help of the Afghan Taliban, but the plan hit a snag owing to non-cooperation of provinces.

Speaking during a seminar organised by the KhyAber Pakhtunkhwa governmAent on terrorism in the federal capital, the PTI chairman said that the govAAeArAnAment had planned to relocate at least 5,000 TTP fighters and their family members which amount to about 35,000. But the plan did not materialise as provinces refused to foot the bill, he added.

Initially, Sindh and BaloAchAistan refused to give 3 per cent share from NatioAnal Finance Commission (NFC) for the uplift of tribal districts and then the federal government stopAped its cooperation after the PTI's ouster, he claimed.

The PTI chairman stated the fall of Kabul and rise of the Afghan Taliban to power provided Pakistan with a golden opportunity to deal with the TTP threat. 'The Afghan Taliban pressurised the TTP, which had over 5,000 fighters among its 40,000-strong group, to go back to Pakistan and we took a number of steps to deal with it,' he said.

Mr Khan said that there was an anti-merger group in tribal areas and the PTI wanted to launch uplift projects to satisfy the anti-merger group, but the lack of funds didn't lead to anything significant in this regard.

Militants and KP police

The former prime minister lashed out at the federal government for its statements against Afghanistan and warned that if Kabul stopped its cooperation then the situation would aggravate.

'If we cannot continue good relations with Afghanistan, the new war on terror will become a curse for us. I said 'absolutely not' [to supposed request for US bases in...