PTI urges political strategy against terrorism

PESHAWAR/LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders on Saturday rejected allegations that the party or its leaders provided space to terrorists and urged the government to adopt a comprehensive political strategy to tackle militancy.

Speaking at a press conference here, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the party had “no soft corner” for terrorists and prayed for an end to bloodshed in the province.

“The Pakistani Army is our army; we do not stand against it. For God’s sake, don’t level accusations against us,” he told reporters.

PTI senior leader Asad Qaiser and PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar were also present.

Salman Raja said he could not respond word-for-word to the previous day’s press briefing, adding that PTI did not want to engage in a war of words.

He warned that some of the language used against the party could cause damage and stressed that terrorism cannot be defeated by military means alone, noting that the PTI founder also shared this viewpoint. “The roots of terrorism are very deep,” he said, and argued that blame for violence cannot be pinned on a single party or decision.

Calling for a broad political approach, Raja urged authorities to take action where weapons were being raised and to avoid operations that cause avoidable civilian deaths. “We want to remove terrorists from the soil,” he said, and added that the party stands with the families of the victims of the Tirah attack.

PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Junaid Akbar defended the party’s mandate in the province and reaffirmed support for CM-designate Sohail Afridi, saying the party would make him successful. He claimed PTI still had a mandate in KP and said the party expected the backing of its 92 MPAs. Junaid Akbar said PTI supported talks with the Taliban and believed a negotiated solution was possible. He criticised comments in the National Assembly by the defence minister about Afghanistan and said it was wrong to generalise about the Afghan people because of the actions of a few.

National Assembly former speaker Asad Qaiser said any policy on the issue of militancy should be developed through consultation with all stakeholders and vowed that PTI would engage with all partners in pursuit of peace. He confirmed the party’s support for dialogue and said the people of KP favour negotiation as a route to resolution.

The PTI leaders asked what effect 22 major operations and some 14,000 smaller operations had achieved, suggesting those actions did not reduce militancy and instead widened gaps between institutions and the public. They also referred to past statements attributed to Naseerullah Babar about training militants and questioned who was behind the movement led by Sufi Muhammad.

Throughout, PTI leaders urged a politically led, inclusive response to militancy, pleaded for avoidance of unfounded accusations, and reiterated their support for the armed forces and for protecting innocent lives.

Salman Akram Raja and Asad Qaiser said KP had not yet received its share of funds under the NFC Award, and Junaid Akbar accused the federation of failing to fulfil promises to the tribal districts, arguing that obstacles in the selection of a chief minister for the merged areas sent a wrong message to tribal voters.

Firing a fresh salvo at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Information Minister Atta Tarar said that it was an impression in the country that outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has become the militant wing of Imran Khan-founded party.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Tarar said certain elements were obstructing efforts to restore peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and that troublemakers were attempting to destabilise the province. He added that the entire nation stands united to eradicate the menace of terrorism from the country. He praised the nation’s resolve against terrorism and credited operations such as Radd-ul-Fasaad and Zarb-e-Azb for significantly weakening militant networks. He alleged that certain “political actors” brought back militants to the country under a plan. The minister also levelled serious allegations against the KP cabinet, claiming that the “timber and drug mafias” were operating within it.

He questioned why the provincial government had failed to take action against the tobacco and timber mafias or curb the use of non-custom-paid vehicles. He also called PTI, “Tehreek-e-Intishar” (chaos movement) and said that it has nothing to do with the country’s sovereignty and sacrifices of martyrs. Reiterating the state’s resolve, the minister said the government is determined to eliminate terrorism and would not allow militants to operate inside Pakistan.

Meanwhile, PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja denied the allegations and called for a comprehensive anti-terror strategy. “Baseless allegations were levelled against the PTI a day earlier,” Raja added. “We are calling for a comprehensive strategy so that innocent people do not lose their lives during operations. We want to eliminate terrorists from our soil.”