Punjab lawmaker Hina Parvez Butt has criticised Reuters for what she described as a lack of coverage of Afghan involvement in attacks in Pakistan, questioning the agency’s reporting on cross-border terrorism.
In a post on X, Butt said Reuters had failed to give sufficient prominence to what she called “mountains of verifiable evidence” concerning Afghan nationals allegedly fighting alongside the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“When mountains of verifiable evidence surfaced, including names, addresses and funeral pictures of 260 Afghan nationals fighting alongside the TTP, some attended by Taliban commanders, you looked the other way,” Butt wrote.
She also alleged that camps operated by the Afghanistan-based TTP and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) were being used to launch attacks across the border, and accused Reuters of remaining silent on the issue.
Butt further cited figures for casualties in Pakistan during 2026, saying terrorist infiltration from Afghanistan had resulted in 1,327 deaths and 2,484 injuries.
“Yet this devastating human cost gets zero prominence, while unbacked Taliban claims make headlines,” she wrote.
The lawmaker said media organisations should apply the same standards to competing claims and accounts when reporting on security issues.
“Editorial integrity requires balance, not selective amnesia,” she added.
Butt’s comments come amid growing concerns in Pakistan over cross-border attacks by terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory and the reported involvement of Afghan nationals in attacks inside Pakistan.
