Tarar, Talal Choudhry Criticise KP Anti-Terrorism Measures

ISLAMABAD: (Mudassar Iqbal) – Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry have criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and Pakistan press conference in Islamabad, Talal Chaudhry said civilians, including women and children, were killed in a terrorist attack on a check post during the Tehreek-e-Insaf leadership over what they described as inadequate measures to tackle terrorism.

Addressing a joint press conference in Islamabad, Talal Chaudhry said civilians, including women and children, were killed in a terrorist attack on a check post during the Dera Ismail Khan Peace Festival. He added that rescue workers were also targeted.

Chaudhry said militant groups frequently circulate photographs and videos of their associates on social media after carrying out attacks. Referring to the DI Khan incident, he claimed that one suspect was checked against NADRA and other databases but could not be identified through those records.

According to the minister, open-source information suggested that the suspect was a resident of Kabul, Afghanistan. He further claimed that around 70 percent of terrorists entering Pakistan were Afghan residents.

Chaudhry said Pakistan had raised the issue with Afghan authorities through dossiers, negotiations and other diplomatic channels. He alleged, however, that Afghanistan had not changed its position on the matter.

The minister also alleged that militants were carrying out attacks for financial rewards and sought to portray terrorism as part of efforts to destabilise Pakistan. He referred to Afghanistan as a “super proxy” and questioned why, in his view, the Afghan government was not being directly named in discussions surrounding terrorism.

Turning to the provincial government, Chaudhry alleged that successive administrations in KP had not provided police and counterterrorism personnel with sufficient resources. He said security officials needed appropriate equipment, including bulletproof vehicles and weapons, to respond effectively to militant threats.

He further claimed that some bulletproof vehicles supplied to security personnel had been returned for political reasons and alleged that changes to police laws had weakened the powers of the force.

Chaudhry also alleged that KP government representatives did not regularly participate in security meetings while seeking funds through the National Finance Commission. He stressed that implementation of the 14-point National Action Plan was necessary to strengthen counterterrorism efforts.

The minister said the federal government had sought an account of Rs800 billion from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and alleged that governance shortcomings had contributed to instability in the province.

Attaullah Tarar, meanwhile, accused PTI leaders of financially supporting terrorists, while criticising the provincial government’s approach to counterterrorism. These allegations were presented by Tarar as part of his argument concerning the province’s security situation.

Tarar questioned why, according to his claim, militant groups had not attacked PTI with the same frequency as other political parties whose leaders and workers have been killed in terrorist incidents.

He pointed to the Awami National Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam as political parties that have suffered casualties during the fight against terrorism.

The information minister also raised concerns about non-custom-paid vehicles operating in KP. He alleged that the provincial government had failed to regularise the vehicles and claimed that some were being used in terrorist activities.

Tarar argued that registering such vehicles could generate revenue while also helping authorities trace vehicles potentially connected to attacks.

He also criticised the performance of the KP Counter Terrorism Department and alleged that the PTI-led provincial administration had not provided adequate support to the police.

Referring to the deaths of children in the DI Khan attack, Tarar questioned the provincial leadership and called for a clear national position on terrorism.

“Politics has its place, but on terrorism there must be a clear decision whether one stands with Afghanistan or Pakistan,” Tarar said.

The federal minister maintained that the government would continue efforts to eliminate terrorism and provide all possible assistance to security institutions.

Note: The allegations against the KP government, PTI and Afghanistan were made by the federal ministers during the press conference. The material provided does not include responses from the KP government or PTI to these specific claims.