Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has said that the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has left province’s police force at the mercy of the terrorists, and has also spent counter-terrorism funds on planning sit-in protests, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Addressing a joint news conference with Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry in Islamabad on Monday, Attaullah Tarar termed PTI leadership as the B team of outlawed TTP.
Tarar urged Imran Khan-founded PTI to clarify whether it stands with Pakistan or Afghanistan amid deadly terror attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Tarar said that the PTI-led KP government refuses to take ownership of the counterterrorism operations or take effective steps against terrorism. "I said in KP that their intentions are bad. I have been saying for years that they are a B-team of the TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan]. I am justified in saying that because they facilitated the terrorists in the last 12 years," he added.
He said sufficient time had passed to bring about changes in the province, arguing that "12 and a half years are enough" to change the conditions of any province.
Tarar accused the KP government of failing to address terrorism and provide basic services, saying people in the province were turning to other provinces for basic facilities. He said the federal government had offered modern vehicles for the KP police, but the offer was rejected.
"Our firm resolve is to eliminate the scourge of terrorism from its roots," the minister added.
Tarar alleged that the PTI leadership had left the KP police "at the mercy of terrorists", while failing to condemn recent cross-border firing from Afghanistan to date.
"Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is burning in the fire of terrorism," he said, adding that the provincial leadership's entire focus was on securing the release of a prisoner from jail.
The information minister said that billions of rupees were provided annually to the KP government under the NFC Award to fight terrorism. "Where have they spent the money received for counterterrorism?" he asked.
He maintained that KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had failed politically after an administrative failure, adding that destruction and devastation had spread across the province.
The minister further alleged that terrorism had been spread by the provincial government itself and that no adequate measures had been taken to address it.
At the beginning of the presser, Talal Chaudhry questioned the KP government's approach to Afghanistan and counterterrorism efforts. “Why do you have a soft approach towards Afghanistan?" he asked.
Talal said that terrorism incidents "were not jihad" and alleged that those carrying out such attacks received dollars in return.
"The facilitators of attacks are present across our eastern and western borders," he said, adding that bulletproof vehicles were provided to the provincial authorities but were returned.
Chaudhry also criticized changes introduced through a new police law, alleging that an attempt had been made to take away police powers.
According to the minister, the KP government refused to come to the meetings on the issue of terrorism despite asking the Centre to bring them on board.
He said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held weekly meetings on the issue, adding, "You come to Islamabad to seek NFC funds, but do not attend counterterrorism meetings."