Tarar says PTI's rhetoric mirrors agenda of banned TTP

Islamabad (Web Desk): Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Friday launched a sharp attack on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), accusing the party of deliberately steering clear of calling the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) a terrorist organisation and of maintaining what he described as a sympathetic attitude toward militant elements

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad alongside Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Zahid Khan, Tarar declared that the TTP was an enemy of the state and dared PTI to openly denounce it if it truly stood with the country.

He said PTI leaders and spokespersons, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, routinely avoid taking a stand against the banned group, which he claimed reflects fear rather than principle, even as Pakistan’s security forces continue to make sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.

He further alleged that certain PTI figures had previously referred to terrorists as “martyrs” while staying silent when Pakistan Army soldiers were killed in action. According to Tarar, the party’s conduct and messaging had effectively turned it into a political shield for the outlawed outfit, helping fuel a renewed wave of militancy in different parts of the country.

Shifting to the national outlook, Tarar said 2025 had brought major gains for Pakistan on both economic and security fronts.

The minister blamed the former PTI government for pushing the country to the edge of financial collapse, claiming that international airlines had even suspended operations to Pakistan during that period.

In contrast, he said the current administration had restored economic stability, strengthened foreign exchange reserves and rebuilt investor confidence, which he said was reflected in the stock market’s strong performance. He added that Pakistan had regained its position among emerging economies and was also seeing improvements on the diplomatic front.

Lauding the security forces, Tarar said Pakistan’s armed forces, guided by firm leadership, had overcome a far stronger adversary through sound planning and strategy, and that the country’s success in what he termed the “Battle for Truth” had been acknowledged internationally.

Turning his focus to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Tarar said governance in the province had deteriorated badly under PTI, describing the system there as virtually broken. While praising the courage and integrity of the people of KP, he criticised the provincial leadership’s approach as narrow-minded and ineffective. He also paid tribute to the Awami National Party, saying its leaders had made immense sacrifices in the war on terror, often burying members of their own families.

Continuing his criticism of PTI, Tarar said the party had failed to bring real change in the health and education sectors, relying instead on slogans. He questioned what reforms had actually been delivered, pointing out that even KP ministers seek medical care outside the province. He said the fact that a large number of patients at Rawalpindi’s cardiology hospital come from KP highlighted the weaknesses of the provincial healthcare system.

In education, he claimed dozens of universities in the province lacked teaching staff and that several districts did not even have a single college for women. Mocking PTI’s claims of achievement, he said it was easy to recite poetry at a university, but building institutions was the real test.

Zahid Khan of the PML-N also strongly criticised PTI, accusing it of neglecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while adopting an aggressive stance toward Punjab. He said he had never seen a chief minister of one province lead a movement against another, a remark aimed at PTI’s former KP leadership.

Khan went on to allege that during PTI’s 12-year rule in KP, provincial resources were wasted and the security situation worsened. He claimed the party had engineered violent incidents in Islamabad and accused PTI workers of attempting to seize control of Lahore, also naming former KP minister Ali Amin Gandapur in connection with the Islamabad episode.

The PML-N leader said that development in KP had virtually stopped, with no meaningful funds spent on public projects over more than a decade. He said the province had been left in a state of ruin for 13 years and claimed that development funds for lawmakers existed only on paper.

Zahid Khan also criticised the lack of new health facilities, noting that Lady Reading Hospital was built long ago, and said crime remained rampant because the provincial government had failed to maintain law and order.