- Tarar says thousands of non-custom paid vehicles used in KP.
- Information minister says major drug cartel is active in province.
- Repeats allegations about PTI’s involvement in May 9 events.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has slammed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan’s sisters for “harming” the country’s reputation by appearing on Indian media platforms.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Sunday, the information minister alleged that these appearances were being used to spread “propaganda” against Pakistan.
“Why did they [Imran’s sisters] not raise the Kashmir issue or Marka-e-Haq when speaking to Indian channels… they appeared on Indian channels to defame the country… propaganda is being spread today on Indian and Afghan media,” he said.
“I wish Noreen Niazi had talked about the seven planes that were shot down. Instead, she goes there and cries for a person facing a £190 million corruption case,” Tarar added.
The information minister further said that Imran’s sisters “should be ashamed” for giving interviews on Indian platforms that, according to him, work against Pakistan’s interests.
He also targeted senior PTI leadership, claiming that close family members of the party’s founder had actively participated in what he described as anti-Pakistan narratives abroad.
The minister further accused the PTI of attempting to weaken national institutions through misinformation and political agitation.
KP issues
Speaking about governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the info minister said the provincial government had failed to curb non-custom-paid vehicles, illegal mining and drug trafficking. He accused the KP government of protecting “drug cartels” and claimed that billions in potential tax revenue were being lost.
“The pockets of those in power in KP are being filled,” he said, adding that the tobacco sector could generate significant revenue if taxed properly.
Tarar also linked the issue to criminal networks and political influence. “One reason is the political-terror-crime nexus,” he added.
He said the security forces responded strongly to recent cross-border attacks, stating: “When there was infiltration from Afghanistan, our army gave a full response.”
The minister maintained that the government is improving the economy, saying inflation has decreased and foreign exchange reserves have increased. He said exporters are no longer facing past difficulties and insisted PTI leaders “know nothing about economic policy”.
