ISLAMABAD, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said Pakistan is facing a continued threat from terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan and questioned the role of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government in supporting counter-terrorism efforts.
Referring to a recent terrorist incident in which civilians, including women and children, lost their lives, Talal Chaudhry said such attacks follow a familiar pattern. He said, groups supported through networks operating from Pakistan’s eastern and western borders release videos, photographs and statements on social media after attacks to spread fear and publicize their activities.
Speaking at a press conference, he said one photograph of a terrorist was examined through Pakistan’s identification systems, including NADRA records. The search found no identification or registration linked to the individual. Authorities then used Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) tools, through which additional information and photographs were traced. The terrorist was reportedly known by the name “Qari,” although Chaudhry said such names are often aliases.
Talal Chaudhry said Pakistan has repeatedly informed international and bilateral forums that many terrorist incidents involve groups entering from Afghanistan. He stated that around 70 percent of such groups over the last two and a half to three years included Afghan nationals. Pakistan, he added, raised the issue through dossiers, negotiations and diplomatic engagement, but the activity continued.
He said the killing of innocent civilians, including women and children, could not be described as jihad. He also referred to an attack in which two rescue workers were killed after reaching the scene of a terrorist incident, saying rescue personnel are unarmed and are not normally targeted during conflicts.
The minister said terrorism is being used to destabilize Pakistan and claimed that attacks increase whenever the country moves forward economically and politically. He alleged that militants receive financial support for carrying out attacks and described Afghanistan as a key proxy in these activities.
Talal Chaudhry also criticized the KP government’s response to terrorism. He questioned why Afghanistan was not condemned after recent incidents and asked why provincial leaders avoided directly naming those responsible. According to him, political leadership can contribute through leadership, resources and authority, but the KP government had failed to provide all three.
He said the province had not adequately supported security forces over the past 14 years and questioned the use of funds received under the NFC award, including an estimated Rs800 billion allocated for security-related needs. He claimed that security institutions in the province still lacked adequate resources, including Counter-Terrorism Department coverage, bulletproof equipment, vehicles, training facilities, Safe City projects and forensic laboratories.
The minister further criticized the new KP Police Act, saying it reduced the authority of police forces. He argued that without leadership, resources and operational authority, security forces could not effectively combat terrorism.
Talal Chaudhry also questioned the participation of KP leaders in national security forums and meetings related to counter-terrorism. He said the National Action Plan had already been agreed upon by political leadership in the past and stressed that political leaders should clearly condemn terrorist attacks and identify those responsible.
He concluded by expressing concern over the continued loss of civilian lives and called for a united national response against terrorism.
