ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Sunday, Oct. 4, accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of repeatedly changing its stance on national issues and challenged the opposition party to clearly state whether it stands with Pakistan or Afghanistan.
Tarar said PTI leaders had repeatedly reversed their positions and accused the party of following what he described as a two-sided policy on security and terrorism.
Tarar said that PTI's approach was giving political cover to militants and claimed the party had benefited from government facilities while showing sympathy toward groups the government considers terrorists.
He said PTI needed to take a clear and consistent position on issues involving Pakistan's national interests.
Tarar also criticized the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government over its handling of terrorism, claiming the province had received about 700 billion rupees for counterterrorism efforts but had failed to take strong action against militants.
The minister said that the provincial government was protecting militant groups instead of taking effective steps to stop terrorism. Tarar went further, alleging that PTI was the “B team” of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and the “C team” of the Afghan Taliban.
The accusations come as tensions over security and political disagreements continue between the federal government and the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
Tarar said the federal government would not allow any group to threaten Pakistan's peace or security. He added that protecting the lives and property of people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and fighting terrorism remained among the government's top priorities.
