Talal accuses PTI, KP govt of weakening counter-terrorism framework

ISLAMABAD: Talal Chaudhry, Minister of State for Interior, on Monday launched a sharp attack on Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, accusing them of weakening Pakistan’s counter-terrorism framework by adopting what he described as a “soft and ambiguous” posture towards militant groups operating from Afghanistan.

Addressing the media in Islamabad, Chaudhry said it was misleading to demand proof of terrorism originating from Afghanistan when, according to him, “more than two dozen countries have already acknowledged that militant activity is emanating from Afghan soil.”

Referring to recent statements by the KP chief minister made in Karachi, he said such remarks only created confusion and undermined a unified national stance against terrorism.

The minister said globally banned organisations, including Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other extremist outfits, were present in Afghanistan, where training camps were operating openly. He alleged that militants routinely cross into Pakistan to carry out attacks and then slip back across the border, deliberately creating ambiguity about their origins.

Chaudhry also questioned PTI’s opposition to the repatriation of illegal Afghan nationals, suggesting that resistance to the policy reflected an unjustified leniency. “If there is so much sympathy, they should go to Afghanistan themselves,” he said, warning the state would not tolerate any facilitation of militancy or its enablers.

Criticising the KP government’s performance, the minister said the majority of terrorism-related incidents occur in KP, yet more than half of the province’s districts lack Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) units, Safe City surveillance projects, and modern forensic facilities. He argued that the absence of these mechanisms allows militants to evade arrest and accountability.

“The PTI leadership neither clearly condemns terrorists nor stands firmly with our security forces and the families of martyrs,” Chaudhry said, accusing the party of placing political expediency above national security. He added that foreign policy, border management, and engagement with other countries are federal subjects and cannot be handled by provincial governments.

Warning against any attempt to dilute the national narrative on terrorism, the minister said the Constitution allows no space for militancy or sympathy towards militant groups. “Political movements are a democratic right, but behaviour that threatens national stability will not be tolerated,” he said, reaffirming the government’s full backing for the armed forces in their fight against terrorism.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026