SWABI: Awami National Party leader and former chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti on Tuesday complained that leaders of the ruling PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were neither unwilling to take responsibility for the surge in terrorism.

“The big problem is that those who have authority in the province [PTI] are not ready to take responsibility and call a terrorist a terrorist. PTI leaders are only verbally condemning terrorism and are not taking practical steps to address it,” Mr Hoti told members of the Swabi Press Club during a meeting here.

The ANP leader said when his party assumed power in the province, it was difficult for the police to come out of police stations and girls were not allowed to go to schools in some regions.

He added that at that time, the administrative and judicial systems were paralysed and the ANP leaders and workers paid a heavy price for peace.

Calls for accountability of those responsible for terrorists’ regrouping in province

“I think it is important to discuss who favoured the resettlement of terrorists and whose government brought them back leading to the surge of terrorism,” he said.

Mr Hoti said more important than taking actions terrorism and terrorists was to hold accountable those who helped terrorists “regroup, rebuild and rise up” in the province.

He said if Pakistan and Afghanistan fought each other, terrorists would benefit, to the misery of both countries.

The ANP leader said the PTI leaders were only verbally condemning terrorism and were not taking practical steps to counter it.

He said that people of Tirah were evicted from their homes in the extreme cold and amid snowfall but both federal and provincial governments expressed ignorance about the displacement.

Mr Hoti regretted the displacement of millions of people, saying they have been left helpless.

He said that from the failure of the PTI’s Feb 8 call for strike and street protests, it seemed that the people of Pakhtunkhwa had understood the ruling party’s politics of confrontation as they didn’t step out to demonstrate like before.

“The PTI leadership should also realise this reality.”

The ANP leader said he thought CM Afridi understood people’s sentiments, so he didn’t participate in protests.

“The CM met the PM but didn’t talk about the denial of opportunity to meet Imran Khan in Adiala Jail nor did he talk about his release. I think the CM’s software has been updated. We hope that the same will happen to other PTI leaders soon,” he said.

Mr Hoti said that PTI, which had been ruling KP for the last 13 years, must understand that the government’s job was to serve people and not to stage protests.

He urged the PTI government to focus on good governance and development.

“We had not seen a government protest like this. If the opposition protests it is fine, but if the government protests, it is beyond my understanding,” he said.

ANP district president Asifur Rehman and general secretary Nawabzada were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2026