Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar called the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government the “B-team” of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the “C-team” of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA), accusing it of facilitating both groups.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, Tarar alleged that the KP government was providing “full facilitation” to the TTP while also representing the TTA.
“This is the C-team of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan; they represent them as well,” he said.
Tarar also targeted KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, saying he appeared “less like a chief minister and more like a TTP commander, in both his words and actions”.
The minister alleged that the provincial government had failed to take effective measures to improve law and order despite the worsening security situation.
He said 2,456 terror attacks had taken place in KP so far this year, an average of about 10 a day.
Tarar added 472 police, army, Rangers and Frontier Corps (FC) personnel had been martyred and more than 1,500 people injured.
Tarar linked what he described as the provincial government’s approach to a “political-terror-crime nexus”, alleging that illegal trade and mining activities were being used to fund terrorists.
“A provincial government which doesn’t want to stop terrorism and fix law and order, and countless citizens lose their lives — this cannot be justified in any part of the world,” he stated.
He further accused PTI of avoiding condemnation and action against terrorists, alleging that “facilitating terrorists is part of PTI’s policy”.
Referring to drone attacks on Kohat from Afghanistan and firing from Afghanistan in Kurram, Tarar said the KP government had not condemned the incidents or publicly expressed support for Pakistan’s security forces.
