• Marriyum claims Nawaz united nation behind NAP; Imran ‘violated’ policy
• Tarar alleges PTI-led KP govt ‘facilitated terrorists, undermined security’

LAHORE: PML-N ministers on Satur­day lashed out at former prime minister Imran Khan, blaming him for the resurgence of terrorism in the country and demanding that he be held accountable.

“Imran Khan is responsible for the return of terrorism in Pakistan. It was Imran Khan who brought terrorism and terrorists back into the country, and for this, he should be held accountable,” said Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

Her remarks came a day after the military’s media wing spokesperson, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said, without naming anyone, that the state and its people “will not and cannot be left to the whims of a single person” deemed most responsible for bringing terrorism back to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Former premier Nawaz Sharif had eliminated terrorism, while Imran Khan facilitated and supported the terrorists,” Ms Aurangzeb claimed, adding that Mr Sharif united the nation behind a single narrative against terrorism and formulated a unanimous National Action Plan (NAP).

She alleged that since 2018, terrorists had once again been given support and safe havens in KP and accused Mr Khan of violating national policy by providing militants refuge, funding, and space to resettle.

“The elimination of terrorism must begin with those who enable and support it. By siding with terrorists, Imran Khan betrayed the people of Pakistan and dishonoured the sacrifices and the blood of the martyrs,” Ms Aurangzeb alleged.

Federal Information Minister Atta­ullah Tarar made similar allegations, saying the PTI-led KP government had “facilitated terrorists, sowing division and undermining national security”.

“In the past week alone, there have been several terrorist attacks that were bravely and courageously repelled by officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army,” Mr Tarar said.

Referring to the PTI, he said this party’s interest was in “further dividing KP, worsening the situation and creating safe havens for terrorists within the province”.

“For decades, Imran Khan and his party have followed this pattern, showing sympathy for terrorists at the local, regional and even international levels, and acting as their facilitators,” he said. “This nation has sacrificed so much. Pakistan is the only country whose children have also given their lives.”

Mr Tarar questioned how we could “forget the students of the APS attack in Peshawar, those children who wrote a legendary chapter of sacrifice in blood, a story that will live forever in history. How can we forget the children martyred recently in Khuzdar, those who were attacked on a bus? How can we forget their sacrifices?”

The information minister said KP had borne the brunt of militancy for decades, yet its citizens had remained steadfast.

“You will find countless examples of how the brave people of KP have rendered immense sacrifices for this country, whether they are from the armed forces, civilians, tradesmen, doctors, engineers, shopkeepers and children; every segment of society has sacrificed for Pakistan,” he said.

Mr Tarar said the resolve expressed under NAP had seen operations such as Zarb-i-Azb and Raddul Fasaad against terrorism, backed by religious edicts declaring that no jihad can be waged against the state. He added that “the sacrifices of those people against terrorism will never go in vain”.

Without naming Mr Khan, he said, “One person in jail” believed the nation’s sacrifices held no value. He compared this with the PPP’s response after Benazir Bhutto’s assassination — “Pakistan khappay” (long live Pakistan).

Mr Tarar also alleged that an illegal spectrum of activities, including non-custom-paid vehicles, oil and food smuggling and illicit tobacco and timber trade, had flourished in KP.

He alleged that “terrorists and the PTI government in KP have a nexus. The KP government, the PTI benefits through these,” he said, claiming that these people also “fund Imran Khan”.

“The state of Pakistan will never permit any person or group to support these terrorists. The state of Pakistan has decided that it will defeat the terrorists,” the minister said.

Talking about the newly nominated chief minister of KP, Sohail Afridi, Mr Tarar said that when it came to selecting a CM, they chose someone who has cases against him, “who is known to be invol­ved in drug peddling and drug business”.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2025