- PTI seems to encourage terrorism, instead of condemning it: Talal.
- Minister says Kabul failed to prevent cross-border infiltration.
- Gohar says this is not time for baseless accusations.
ISLAMABAD: The federal government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) traded barbs on Friday over the surge in terrorism, each accusing the other of blatant policy failures.
In a video message, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry launched a scathing attack on the PTI, saying that it facilitated militants during its tenure.
He said that PTI’s founder “rolled out the red carpet” for terrorists, allowing them to settle in Pakistan. “Instead of condemning terrorism, PTI seems to be encouraging it,” he said, adding that no PTI leader has ever been targeted by terrorist groups.
Speaking to Geo News exclusively, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan categorically rejected Chaudhry’s remarks about the return of the Taliban, calling them factually incorrect.
“Pakistan is currently facing a serious security crisis… this is not the time for baseless accusations,” he said, urging the government to focus on counterterrorism efforts rather than political point-scoring.
He further said official records show that decisions regarding the settlement of militants were made after July 2022, refuting claims that PTI facilitated their return during its tenure.
He also condemned Chaudhry’s statement that terrorists had not targeted PTI, calling it irresponsible. “We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and any attack on Pakistani citizens,” he added.
Separately, Chaudhry — while speaking on the Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan’ — pointed towards Pakistan’s 2,600 km-long border with Afghanistan, saying that securing it is a shared responsibility between both nations.
He said that Afghanistan had failed to prevent cross-border infiltration, worsening Pakistan’s security situation.
He also criticised the provincial governments, saying that sensitive intelligence was often provided to provinces, and in Sindh and Punjab, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) takes action based on such information.
“During Nawaz Sharif’s tenure, all political forces stood united against terrorism, but today, we have failed to build a unified narrative,” he lamented.
Chaudhry further alleged that after 2018, the successive government failed to implement the National Action Plan (NAP), resulting in the resurgence of militant activities.
The country has been reeling under increased terrorist attacks targeting law enforcers and security forces since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Pakistan witnessed a sharp increase in terror attacks in January 2025, surging by 42% compared to the previous month, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a think tank.
KP remained the worst-affected province, followed by Balochistan. In KP’s settled districts, militants carried out 27 attacks, resulting in 19 fatalities, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and two militants.
