Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has sought answers from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to eight questions regarding its stance and policies on terrorism and security in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.In a statement posted on X, Asif said PTI had repeatedly claimed that it was not allowed to formulate a policy against terrorism. He said the claim prompted him to raise eight basic questions with the party.Asif asked who had prevented PTI from formulating a counterterrorism policy when it had governed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for 13 years and had also been in power at the federal level.

He also questioned which policy had stopped the party from implementing the National Action Plan and convening Apex Committee meetings. He asked what policy was needed to call terrorists terrorists, condemn terrorists coming from Afghanistan and openly stand with the armed forces against attacks on the military and civilians. The defence minister also questioned why the KP government had not openly condemned recent drone attacks from Afghanistan in Kohat and asked what policy had prevented it from doing so. 

Asif further asked how many times the KP government had protested or condemned, by naming the Afghan regime, alleged cross-border violations, firing on Pakistani security posts and troops, infiltration and direct or indirect support to terrorists. Addressing KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Asif asked what practical steps had been taken over the past 13 years to eliminate illegal economic activities allegedly supporting terrorism in the province, including extortion, smuggling and the trade in non-customs-paid vehicles. His sixth question concerned security forces fighting terrorism.

Asif asked how many times Afridi had visited security personnel at their posts to express solidarity and how often he had visited victims of terrorism in KP to offer support to affected families. Asif also questioned why the KP government, according to him, confused the state’s narrative against terrorism through different tactics and why it did not refer to and condemn militants as “Khawarij.” 

In his eighth point, the defence minister alleged that corruption had been promoted during 13 years of PTI rule in KP and accused the provincial leadership of misusing public resources. He referred to allegations made by PTI members against one another on social media and an allegation by a woman member of the National Assembly regarding the alleged embezzlement of party funds received from abroad, asking the party to respond.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)