Islamabad, January 8,2026: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday strongly rejected allegations of “non-cooperation” in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on the issue of terrorism, terming the claims baseless and contrary to facts.
Speaking to the media alongside senior party leaders Salman Akram Raja and Asad Qaiser, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said accusations that the party was not cooperating in KP were “inappropriate and a lie”.
“Terrorists have no religion or political party,” Barrister Gohar said, stressing that terrorism must be eradicated at all costs. He reiterated that PTI has consistently described terrorism as a scourge that must be eliminated and maintained that the party’s stance from the outset has been that terrorism should not be politicised.
“We hope that baseless allegations will not be levelled against PTI in the future,” he added.
Emphasising the need to fully implement the National Action Plan (NAP), PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja called for the development of a long-term national counter-terrorism policy. “We want a national policy that can last for the next five to ten years,” he said.
Calling the accusations against PTI unacceptable, Raja urged the government to initiate a consultative process on the issue. “Sit with us and prepare a comprehensive plan of action against terrorism,” he said, adding that the party does not want innocent lives to be lost.
Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser also weighed in, urging the federal government to take the KP Assembly into confidence before making decisions on counter-terrorism measures. “Terrorism has not decreased; in fact, it has increased. If your policy has failed, then it should be reconsidered,” he remarked.
The PTI press conference followed remarks made a day earlier by KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who called for the inclusion of the provincial government in the formulation of counter-terrorism policies. The chief minister stressed that any anti-terrorism operations should be conducted after taking the nation into confidence.
The developments come after a media briefing earlier this week by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who criticised the PTI leadership in KP and blamed it for the rise in terrorism in the province.
Lt Gen Chaudhry alleged that PTI was “resisting counter-terrorism efforts at every forum” and accused the party of building “false narratives while sitting in assemblies”. Referring to PTI’s opposition to military operations against terrorists in KP, he questioned what alternative course of action the party proposed.
The ISPR chief further stated that seeking assurances from groups accused of harbouring terrorists was illogical, reiterating that effective counter-terrorism required firm state action rather than political ambiguity. He also pointed to what he described as a “politically conducive environment and a flourishing political-criminal-terror nexus” in PTI-ruled KP, claiming that the province accounted for nearly 71 per cent of all terrorist incidents in 2025.
