PTI Facilitating Terrorists, Alleges KP Assembly Opposition Leader

Peshawar: Leader of the Opposition in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Dr Ibadullah, has alleged that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is facilitating terrorists and urged the provincial government to focus on improving its performance.

Addressing a press conference, Dr Ibadullah said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa received Rs800 billion for the war against terrorism, yet the province still lacks key institutions such as the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), a forensic laboratory, and a Safe City project. “Where did all this money go?” he questioned, warning that the security situation in the province continues to deteriorate.

He said while counterterrorism operations become more challenging during winter due to displacement issues, there is no alternative to decisive action. He criticized the provincial government for making contradictory statements, saying it claims to oppose operations publicly while funding them in practice. “Decisions were made in the Apex Committee meetings, but they say one thing there and something else outside,” he added.

Dr Ibadullah also criticized PTI’s planned street march on February 8, saying the party already has a mandate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He challenged the government to name a single educational institution or dispensary built over the past two years, claiming other provinces are progressing while KP has gone into reverse.

He further alleged that a small group of individuals is effectively running the province, with corruption widespread over the past 13 years. He accused PTI leaders of facilitating the Taliban and providing financial support to terrorists, recalling former prime minister Imran Khan’s remarks describing the Taliban takeover of Kabul as a “day of victory.”

Raising questions over the use of funds for former FATA reforms, Dr Ibadullah said PTI was in power at the federal level at the time and had representation in the National Finance Commission (NFC) but failed to raise the issue.

Speaking on the occasion, Murtaza Javed Abbasi said the KP government was using all provincial resources against the federation and showed no serious effort to counter terrorism. He noted that no representative of the provincial government participated in peace jirgas, calling on Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to focus on restoring peace.

Abbasi said national unity was essential in view of regional challenges, including threats from India and alleged US planning against Iran, but accused the KP government of deepening divisions within the nation and playing a role “no less than that of an enemy.”