PESHAWAR: Treasury lawmakers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday insisted that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was being unfairly targeted.

Referring to the military spokesperson’s recent news conference in which he wondered why militants didn’t target the PTI, the lawmakers insisted that their party’s both leaders and activists were victims of militancy.

During an assembly session chaired by Deputy Speaker Suriyya Bibi, housing minister Dr Amjad Ali said the top PTI leadership and Senator Khurram Zeeshan and MPAs Malik Liaqat, Anwar Zeb faced militant attacks.

He also said PTI founder Imran Khan was shot at by militants.

Dr Ali claimed the military’s spokesperson had repeatedly held pressers against the PTI.

They wonder how militants continue to enter KP despite border fencing, monitoring

He said the more the military spoke against the PTI, the more it strengthened the party.

The minister questioned why the military’s spokesperson had never talked about the performance of the Special Investment Facilitation Council, which, he said, was headed by “their own men”.

“People in KP know everything. They ask why militants do not attack liquor shops, night clubs in Punjab and Sindh but mosques in KP,” he said.

Dr Ali wondered how militants continued to enter KP despite the border being fenced, maintained by the military and monitored through drone cameras.

He said that the military had shared details of the military offensives against militants.

The minister questioned why 4,000 militants couldn’t be eliminated after 21 major operations and 14,000 intelligence-based operations.

Treasury MPA Malik Adeel Iqbal said that he was astonished by large crowds at the PTI’s street movement in Hazara on Sunday and that the sudden surge in turnout was caused by the military spokesperson’s news conference against the party.

Opposition PPP member Ahmad Karim Kundi said that the law and order situation in the province had been discussed in detail during several assembly sittings and that a resolution was also adopted during a peace jirga.

He added that his party had been a major victim of militancy and that the province needed to move forward.

Mr Kundi said that the chief minister had never opposed military operations but wanted all stakeholders to be taken on board.

“The chief minister should call the prime minister and the interior minister, invite them and share the provincial government’s point of view,” he said.

Law minister Aftab Alam Afridi said that he appreciated Mr Kundi’s views but wondered why they should sit with what he termed an “illegitimate government”.

He said that militants were facilitated and transported, and that people in Tirah were forced to leave their homes.

The minister added that the security operation was aimed at belittling PTI founder Imran Khan and his workers.

“This house is empowered to make decisions regarding the province and its future,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Kundi raised questions about the system for disbursing Zakat funds, saying that Rs860 million out of a total Rs2 billion cash handouts had been distributed to 36,000 individuals.

He said that the matter should be referred to the relevant house committee.

Mr Afridi said that Zakat committees were formed late in 2025 when only three months remained in the 2024-25 financial year and that he wouldn’t object if the issue was referred to the relevant committee.

The chair referred the question to the relevant house committee.

Member of the opposition PPP Ehsanullah said he had sought details of tubewells installed in Dera Ismail Khan since 2024, including the amount spent and the number of tubewells solarised.

He said that he visited some sites to find nothing on the ground, while others were verified by third parties.

Irrigation minister Riaz Khan said that the department had provided all relevant details and that seven tubewells were approved and completed in 2024-25.

He said that he would order an inquiry and take action if there was nothing on the ground and that he was willing for the issue to be referred to the relevant committee.

The house also passed the KP Endowment Fund Kalash Community Bill, 2026, which was moved by Mr Afridi. He also tabled the KP Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The chair later put off the sitting until next Monday (January 26).

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2026