Talal Chaudhry slams Imran for surge in terrorism

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry accused the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for sowing the seeds of terrorism during his tenure, which are now resulting in the martyrdom of Pakistani citizens.

He further alleged that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government was creating confusion over national security matters.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Talal Chaudhry dismissed claims of an ongoing military operation, clarifying that no such action was underway or under consideration.

He accused KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur of misleading the public regarding discussions held during the recent National Security meeting. “If terrorists had not been sheltered during PTI’s rule, the situation today would be very different,” Chaudhry asserted. “The KP chief minister is spreading confusion by claiming that his government will not allow any operation. Let me be clear: there is no operation happening.”

The minister of state went on to criticize PTI’s handling of security issues, noting that the party has governed KP for the past 13 years. “When the PTI founder talks about intelligence failures, he should reflect on who has been responsible for security in KP all these years,” he remarked.

Talal also revealed that the federal government had allocated Rs800 billion to KP for security enhancements, yet the provincial government failed to utilize even a fraction effectively. He emphasized that dialogue is only possible with those who lay down arms, asserting that force will be used against those who continue to resort to violence.

Highlighting Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to combat terrorism, Talal disclosed that intelligence-based operations are conducted daily, with as many as 180 operations taking place across the country. He claimed that Pakistan has already won the war against terrorism, with 95% of incidents now occurring in Balochistan and KP.

Talal Chaudhry accused PTI founder acting as the “patron-in-chief of terrorists,” pointing to the lack of condemnation from the party regarding recent terrorist attacks such as the Bannu mosque bombing.