Minister slams KP govt’s ‘flaws’ in leadership, resources and authority in counter-terror fight

Minister Tallal Chaudhry criticized the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for its shortcomings in the counter-terrorism fight. During a press conference in Islamabad, Chaudhry highlighted the flaws in leadership, resources, and authority of the PTI-led administration in KP, which has been in power since 2013.

He stated that the provincial government had failed to provide necessary leadership to security forces over the past 14 years. Chaudhry accused the PTI government of "creating space" for terrorists and questioned why they had not allocated sufficient resources for counterterrorism. He noted that the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) remained inoperative throughout the province, and security forces lacked essential equipment such as bulletproof jackets, cars, training, a CTD, Safe City projects, and a forensic lab.

Moreover, Chaudhry criticized KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and his information minister for not attending the funeral prayers of victims of the Sept 18 Kohat blast and for their perceived soft attitude towards Afghanistan. Chaudhry emphasized that terrorist proxies are financed by the eastern border and their hideouts lie on the western border.

He argued that Islamabad had attempted various approaches to convey its concerns to Kabul, but to no avail. Chaudhry also highlighted a recent attack on a rescue vehicle carrying victims of a blast in DI Khan, stating that attacking rescue teams is prohibited even during war. He concluded by asserting that Pakistan possesses the "best systems" for investigating suspected terrorists and that detailed information can be swiftly accessed through Nadra and other databases.