By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The government on Monday sharply rebuked Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister, Sohail Afridi, for questioning whether Afghanistan’s territory was being used to launch terrorist attacks against Pakistan, accusing him of acting as a spokesman for Kabul and sowing doubt on national security matters at a time of surging violence.
Afridi, a leader in the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, made the remarks during a media interaction at the home of a party colleague in Karachi on Sunday night. He called on the state to produce evidence for claims that Afghan soil was fueling terrorism in Pakistan, saying that other countries bordering Afghanistan did not voice similar grievances.
The comments, captured in a video clip shared by the state broadcaster PTV on the social media platform X, drew swift condemnation from federal officials, who portrayed them as part of a broader pattern of PTI sympathy toward militants and reluctance to confront the threat from across the border.
In a post on X, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Afridi’s stance is “highly condemnable and shameful,” asserting that he was speaking as Afghanistan’s “spokesperson.” Tarar pointed to what he called “irrefutable evidence” of the Afghan Taliban regime’s support for terrorists, adding that the entire world had witnessed such backing. “Sohail Afridi has reached the peak of lies and hypocrisy,” Tarar wrote. “The Pakistani nation has made immense sacrifices while fighting terrorists.”
He accused the PTI of consistently facilitating militants, saying that “whenever the party opened its mouth, they always facilitated terrorists.” Tarar also linked the attacks to groups like Fitna al Khawarij, which he said targeted Pakistan because its development was unacceptable to them, and urged Afridi to “come to his senses.”
The backlash escalated in Islamabad, where Minister of State for Interior Affairs Tallal Chaudhry, addressing journalists outside Parliament House, lambasted the PTI for its “consistent policy” of creating “uncertainty” on national issues and refraining from labeling terrorists as such. “They are always reluctant to call terrorists terrorists and say things that spread doubt amongst the common man,” Chaudhry said. He held neighboring countries responsible, with one “investing” in terrorism and the other “implementing” it.
Directly assailing Afridi’s call for evidence, Chaudhry asked: “Do you still not know who’s behind terrorism?” He noted that at least two dozen countries had acknowledged Afghanistan’s role in harboring terrorist activities, including sanctuaries and training camps. Chaudhry questioned the PTI’s “soft attitude” toward militants, suggesting a deeper connection. “There must be a reason for this soft attitude,” he said. “They have something in common, and I’ll say it on record: there has not been even a single attack on any PTI leader, worker, adviser, minister in the past 11 years.”
He accused the party of intentionally spreading confusion to allow groups like the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan to operate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and garner public sympathy. “You create ambiguity in the minds of common people, so the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and other groups may operate in KP and also get the sympathies of the common man,” the minister added.
The government has repeatedly charged the PTI-led administration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with facilitating terrorists, with minister Tarar previously calling the party the “political wing” of the TTP. The military’s spokesperson has similarly blamed the provincial government for the rise in attacks. The PTI has denied allegations of non-cooperation on counterterrorism efforts.
Amid the PTI’s ongoing street protests, Chaudhry questioned whether its leaders had met with families of those killed in attacks. “You stand against the national narrative because you are a beneficiary,” he said, accusing the party of trying to create unrest “so it can be weakened and then blackmailed, and you (PTI) can benefit.” He warned that ambiguity on terrorism would no longer be tolerated. “Let me say this again: no matter if you are a chief minister or an ordinary representative, speaking against the national narrative or spreading any doubt will not be tolerated,” Mr. Chaudhry said. “We will send you where we are going to send them. If you have such empathy for them, then go to Afghanistan.”
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