ISLAMABAD, Oct 13 (APP):Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday said the country could not have two different policies on counter-terrorism, stating that the federal government had repeatedly sought a consensus-based strategy with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, but the chief minister had not agreed to it. Accompanied by Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar, he was briefing foreign media representatives on …
Atta Tarar calls for unified counter-terrorism policy amid surge in KP attacks
ISLAMABAD, Oct 13 (APP):Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday said the country could not have two different policies on counter-terrorism, stating that the federal government had repeatedly sought a consensus-based strategy with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, but the chief minister had not agreed to it.
Accompanied by Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar, he was briefing foreign media representatives on the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the federal government’s counter-terrorism policy and the newly established consultative council for 12 districts of the province.
Atta Tarar said the federal government’s sole objective in negotiations with the PTI and the provincial government had been to develop a unified strategy against terrorism. The PTI could continue its march and pursue its other political demands, but the federal government wanted all relevant governments to adopt a common approach to combating terrorism.
He said Pakistan could not pursue one policy towards Afghanistan at the federal level and a different approach at the provincial level. While the federal government was pursuing diplomatic engagement with the interim Afghan government to dismantle terrorist safe havens and prevent Afghan territory from being used for attacks inside Pakistan, the provincial government’s approach was different.
The minister maintained that the measures taken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were legally valid under the Constitution of 1973, saying the relevant constitutional provisions had been incorporated to address such situations.
Citing figures on the security situation, Atta Tarar said terrorist incidents had increased nearly elevenfold over the past six years. A total of 3,774 incidents were reported in 2025, the highest number recorded so far, while 2,857 incidents had occurred by September 2026.
He said 6,924 terrorism cases had been registered over the preceding five years. Referring to casualties, he said 2,775 deaths had been recorded in 2026 and 3,512 in 2025.
He further stated that terrorism-related fatalities had increased by 113.7 per cent between March 2024 and September 2026, a period of 31 months, with more than 8,442 deaths recorded during that period.
The minister said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police had suffered particularly heavy losses while fighting terrorism. He cited a 168 per cent increase in attacks targeting police personnel and said 1,532 police personnel had been killed. He also referred to 1,364 major terrorist attacks, adding that police and law enforcement agencies accounted for 62 per cent of the overall losses cited in his briefing.
He said 18 police installations had been targeted over the preceding two years, while the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) had increased by 30 per cent.
Tarar criticised the provincial government for failing to equip and train police adequately. He also pointed to the unrestricted movement of explosive materials and the failure to register vehicles and motorcycles, saying an effective registration system would help authorities trace and monitor their movement.
Recalling a recent visit to Kohat, where he met injured people in hospital and visited the families of those killed, he said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa wanted terrorism to end, but the violence had severely affected their lives and livelihoods.
He referred to a video of a child paying tribute to his father at his grave, identifying the deceased as DSP Shinwari. The minister questioned who was responsible for the suffering of such families and attributed the situation to the provincial government’s inaction, incompetence and reluctance to accept responsibility.
Atta Tarar questioned the utilisation of approximately Rs800 billion provided to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government under the National Finance Commission (NFC) framework, asking why the funds had not been used to strengthen the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), install Safe City cameras, establish forensic laboratories, provide modern equipment to police and develop an effective counter-violent-extremism narrative.
He said the province’s governance system had become paralysed, with no substantial improvements in education and health or adequate provision of basic public services.
The minister noted that a nexus between politics, terrorism and crime had operated in the province. He cited mining, minerals, timber, tobacco, gold and precious-stone trading as sectors in which cross-border smuggling continued, stating that terrorists received patronage and facilitation in these activities.
Recounting his journey to Kohat, he said he had examined registration under the prime minister’s fuel relief scheme at a petrol pump and found that most motorcycles and vehicles had not been registered. He questioned why the PTI government had not ensured their registration during its 13-and-a-half years in power, linking the failure to collusion with terrorists, corruption, illegal trade and smuggling.
Atta Tarar said the provincial government had been unwilling to take legal action against terrorists or implement a coordinated counter-terrorism policy. He added that the federal government had tried to persuade the provincial leadership through dialogue and reasoning, and an agreement had eventually been reached, but the chief minister had rejected it.
He also questioned why high-level meetings on the implementation of the National Action Plan had been avoided in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite such meetings being held at the national level.
The minister said that the PTI-led provincial government had failed to dismantle a nexus between politics, terrorism and crime. He said there was credible information that political representatives of other parties had not been allowed safe passage through areas where terrorists were active, whereas the PTI’s march had passed through such areas after coordination with terrorist organisations.
He questioned how this had been possible and said the provincial government had expressed sympathy for terrorists on several occasions.
Atta Tarar also stated that the PTI had maintained links with the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), saying there was concrete evidence of such contacts. He said evidence of the identified links would be shared soon.
He maintained that the PTI’s political narrative had favoured terrorists and worked against law enforcement agencies, strengthening militants both on the ground and in the narrative arena. He said the Pakistan Peoples Party, Awami National Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, among other political parties, had suffered losses in the fight against terrorism, but described the PTI as the TTP’s “B team”.
The minister also criticised the provincial government’s absence from the funerals of military personnel martyred in counter-terrorism operations. Referring to Captain Abuzar Waraich, who was martyred in Tank a few weeks earlier and buried in Gujranwala district, he questioned what had prevented provincial government representatives from attending such funerals.
He said the sacrifices of the armed forces, law enforcement agencies and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police deserved recognition. He added that he had visited martyrs’ families and criticised the provincial government for failing to express sympathy with bereaved relatives.
Atta Tarar said the Taliban’s ideology had no connection with true Islam, arguing that they wanted a system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in which women would be denied the right to education.
The minister said a regional representative and development council would be established for 12 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, comprising a chairman, vice chairman, members and a spokesperson. An additional chief secretary would also be appointed, while Yahya Akhunzada would serve as administrator.
The arrangement would include director generals and an additional inspector general for police, alongside departments dealing with law enforcement, narcotics control, legal affairs, tribal affairs and human rights. Separate administrative arrangements would also cover the budget, Board of Revenue and other related matters.
Atta Tarar said regional and tribal representation would be balanced to ensure local communities felt included in and had ownership of the new system. He said the arrangement was intended to address development and law-and-order issues more effectively, with security as the first priority and development to follow.
He expressed hope that the new system would improve security and make it more difficult for militants to regroup and carry out attacks.
Defending the composition of the new consultative council, Atta Tarar said its members had the educational qualifications, professional capabilities and public-service experience required for their respective roles. He said the council had no sympathisers of terrorism and differed significantly from the previous provincial cabinet in terms of competence and experience.
He said Kifayatullah Khan, adviser for internal affairs, was a former inspector general of prisons who had served in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Tariq Mahmood Pasha was among the country’s leading civil servants, while former advocate general Amir Javed had extensive experience in legal and judicial affairs.
Dr Syed Amir Abdullah held a PhD in international relations from the Netherlands, while retired Lieutenant General Nigar Johar, the Pakistan Army’s first female lieutenant general and a former surgeon general, would advise on health.
Dr Sarfaraz Ali Shah had previously served as an adviser in planning and development, and communications and works. Dr Muhammad Irshad, the minister said, was a member of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society’s board, a former chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue and held a PhD in finance.
Asif Rafiq Afridi was a former caretaker provincial minister, while Muhammad Tayyab Qureshi, the chief khateeb of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was known for his balanced and clear stance against terrorism.
Osman Saifullah Khan would advise on energy. The minister said he was a member of the Board of Governors of Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute and a former senator with experience in both the public and private sectors.
Atta Tarar described MNA Samar Haroon Bilour as a courageous voice against terrorism. He said she had also served in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and belonged to a family that had suffered major losses in terrorist attacks, having lost her father-in-law and subsequently her husband. He said her continued opposition to terrorism made her a valuable addition to the council.
The minister said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had welcomed the new arrangement and hoped it would improve security and protect their lives, property and livelihoods.
He said PTI representatives had predicted that millions would take to the streets if governor’s rule or an emergency were imposed, but had been unable to mobilise even a dozen people.
Responding to a question about accountability, Tarar said the new consultative council had full authority and a legal mandate in matters relating to legal cases.
He said the list of offences committed under the previous PTI provincial government was extensive, but decisions on the scope and procedure of accountability would rest with the council.
He reiterated that a coordinated national policy was essential to defeating terrorism and restoring peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
