ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of failing across multiple sectors and leaving the provincial police ill-equipped to fight terrorism.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad alongside Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Tarar said there were limits to political differences and alleged that PTI had crossed all boundaries.
“I maintain my position that the PTI leadership in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the B-team of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP),” Tarar said.
He alleged that leaders of the Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) had sacrificed their lives in the fight against terrorism, while, he claimed, “only terrorists do not call PTI a terrorist organisation.”
Tarar further alleged that PTI was involved in financially supporting militants, without providing evidence for the claim during the press conference.
The minister also questioned the continued use of non-customs-paid vehicles in KP, saying such vehicles were being deliberately kept outside the legal framework. He alleged that some of these vehicles were subsequently used in terrorist activities.
Tarar criticised the provincial government’s performance in healthcare, saying PTI had governed KP for more than 12 years but residents still travelled to other provinces to access basic facilities.
On police resources, Tarar said the Interior Ministry had offered modern vehicles to the KP police, but the provincial government refused to accept them.
He accused the KP government of leaving the police “at the mercy of terrorists” and said the federal government remained committed to eliminating terrorism.
Comparing the security policies of KP and Balochistan, Tarar praised Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti for what he described as effective measures against terrorism. He said Bugti was using all available resources to combat militancy.
Tarar also accused the KP government of spending funds on political protests instead of the police and alleged that it wanted to turn the provincial police into PTI’s political wing.
He questioned how KP had spent its share of National Finance Commission (NFC) funds allocated for counterterrorism and demanded an account of the expenditure.
The minister further alleged that the provincial government was seeking to abolish the provincial Public Service Commission and retain control over appointments.
Tarar said the National Action Plan was being implemented fully and criticised PTI leaders for what he described as a lack of understanding of the plan and its objectives.
