- Some elements hamper efforts to restore peace in KP (Tarar)
- According to him, “drug and timber mafias operate” within the KP cabinet.
- “Tehreek-e-Intishar has nothing to do with national sovereignty”
LAHORE: Firing a fresh salvo at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Information Minister Atta Tarar on Saturday said it was an impression in the country that banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has become the militant wing of the party founded by Imran Khan.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Tarar said that some elements are hampering efforts to restore peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and troublemakers were trying to destabilize the province.
He added that the entire nation was united to eradicate the menace of terrorism from the country.
The minister hailed the country’s resolve against terrorism and credited operations such as Radd-ul-Fasaad and Zarb-e-Azb for significantly weakening militant networks.
He claimed that some “political actors” had repatriated activists to the country as part of a plan.
The minister also made serious allegations against the KP cabinet, saying that “timber and drug mafias” were operating within it.
He questioned why the provincial government had not taken action against tobacco and timber mafias or curbed the use of vehicles not paid for in customs.
He also called the PTI, “Tehreek-e-Intishar” (chaos movement) and said it had nothing to do with the sovereignty of the country and the sacrifices of the martyrs.
“The Tehreek-e-Intishar is the only party which shows no respect for the sacrifices of our martyrs or for national sovereignty. Its real aim is to create chaos within the KP rather than addressing the genuine concerns of the people,” Tarar told reporters.
Reiterating the state’s resolve, the minister said the government was determined to eliminate the threat of terrorism and would not allow militants to operate inside Pakistan.
“There is no place for terrorism,” he said, adding: “We will eliminate terrorism and we will not rest until the last terrorist is eliminated.” »
PTI rejects allegations
Meanwhile, PTI general secretary Salman Akram Raja denied the allegations and called for a comprehensive anti-terrorism strategy.
Baseless allegations were leveled against the PTI a day earlier,” Raja added.
“We call for a comprehensive strategy so that innocent people do not lose their lives during operations. We want to eliminate terrorists from our soil.”
A day earlier, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General (DG) of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), drew a stark contrast between the governance of Sindh, Punjab and KP.
Speaking to the press, the DG ISPR on Friday renewed the Pakistan Army’s determination to eradicate terrorism and dismantle the “political-criminal nexus”, which he said is responsible for the surge in terrorist attacks in the PTI-ruled province.
“In Sindh and Punjab, governance exists: police and law enforcement are functioning. But in KP, rather than improving governance and the rule of law, terrorism is being politicized under the guise of provincialism. Isn’t that itself a criminal act?” he asked.
