The federal government on Monday strongly criticised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for remarks suggesting the state should provide evidence that Afghan soil is being used for terrorism against Pakistan.
Afridi made the comments during a media interaction in Karachi, arguing that other countries bordering Afghanistan did not raise similar allegations.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar responded sharply, accusing the KP chief minister of acting like a “spokesperson” for Afghanistan. In a post on X, Tarar termed the remarks “condemnable and shameful,” stating that there was irrefutable evidence of Afghan soil being used for terrorist activities.
He said Pakistan had made immense sacrifices in its fight against terrorism and accused Afridi’s party of consistently facilitating extremist elements and spreading doubt on national security issues.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry also rebuked the comments, calling them part of a long-standing pattern by the PTI to create ambiguity around terrorism.
He said multiple countries had acknowledged that Afghan territory was being used for cross-border attacks and accused the party of showing reluctance to label terrorists as such.
Chaudhry alleged that this narrative weakened counterterrorism efforts and undermined the sacrifices of security forces and civilians, particularly in KP, where a majority of terror incidents occur.
Chaudhry warned that any narrative perceived as sympathetic to terrorists would not be tolerated, regardless of the speaker’s political position. He stressed there was no room for ambiguity on terrorism and said sympathisers would be treated accordingly. He also questioned whether PTI leaders had shown solidarity with families of martyrs.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal described Afridi’s remarks as deeply upsetting, noting that KP had suffered the most from terrorism.
He said Pakistan had presented evidence internationally, including footage of militants crossing from Afghanistan, and reiterated that while Pakistan sought friendly relations, national security remained non-negotiable.
