ISLAMABAD – Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar blasted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership, accusing Imran Khan’s party of crossing “all limits” of political conduct and alleging that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had failed across multiple sectors.
Addressing a presser alongside Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Tarar alleged that the “intentions and disposition” of the current KP leadership were both problematic. He reiterated his controversial claim that PTI’s leadership in the province was acting as the “B team” of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
He pointed to political leadership of the Awami National Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, saying their leaders had sacrificed lives in the fight against terrorism. He questioned why, according to him, terrorists did not target PTI in the same manner and alleged that the party was involved in financially supporting militants.
The federal minister also raised questions over the continued presence of non-customs-paid vehicles in KP. He alleged that many vehicles, including motorcycles, were operating without proper registration or number plates and claimed that PTI was deliberately failing to bring non-customs-paid vehicles into the legal framework. Tarar further alleged that such vehicles were being used in terrorist activities, linking the issue to broader security concerns in the province.
Turning to healthcare, the minister questioned what measures had been taken by the KP government to improve health services. He argued that despite PTI governing the province for more than 12 and a half years, residents of KP continued to travel to other provinces in search of basic facilities. He also claimed that the Interior Ministry had offered modern vehicles to the KP police but that the provincial government had refused to accept them.
“Our firm resolve is to eliminate the menace of terrorism from its roots,” Tarar said, while alleging that the PTI leadership had left the KP police “at the mercy of terrorists.”
Tarar praised the Balochistan government for what he described as effective measures against terrorism. He called Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti a “brave and capable” leader and said his meetings under the National Action Plan could be compared with those of KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi over the past year.
Tarar said Bugti deserved recognition for deploying all available resources to confront terrorism. The minister also accused the KP government of diverting funds intended for the police toward political sit-ins. He alleged that the provincial government was seeking to turn the police into PTI’s political wing.
He further claimed that the government wanted to abolish the Provincial Public Service Commission and retain control over appointments, demanding an explanation of where KP’s share of National Finance Commission funds allocated for counterterrorism had been spent.
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