PESHAWAR – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders rejected attempts to blame one party or decision for terrorism, and warned they would not allow an illegitimate government to be imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Speaking at a presser in Peshawar, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and provincial party president Junaid Akbar said the party stands “with the nation’s martyrs, the state and the law,” and urged inclusive, constitutional solutions to the province’s political and security challenges.
Salman Akram Raja said attempts were underway to block constitutional change in KP by unconstitutional means and that PTI faces intimidation. He appealed for unity in decision-making and rejected the notion that terrorism could be traced to a single party or decision: “Tell us which terrorist has been settled in the country,” he said, adding that arms and explosives cannot resolve the problem of militancy.
He argued that terrorism was at its lowest during PTI’s tenure and noted that Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan were better about three and a half years ago. He rejected accusations of treason against the party and described the contested change in the province’s chief ministership as “a new beginning,” while accusing opponents of pushing for governor’s rule.
Asad Qaiser said Sohail Afridi was the rightful candidate for the chief ministership and warned that PTI would not let a government formed by illegitimate means operate in the province. Junaid Akbar said PTI would vigorously defend its provincial mandate and described a change of leadership as the party’s constitutional right.
PTI leaders urged that military-operation decisions include consultation with political stakeholders and reiterated their preference for negotiations as part of a counter‑terrorism strategy. Junaid Akbar issued a stern warning to any party members who might cross the party line, saying PTI would take strict action if votes were tampered with.
The remarks came a day after Director General ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, in a press briefing on October 10, 2025, alleged that “terrorists and their facilitators” had been given space in KP under a premeditated plan and accused policies that weakened governance and public welfare of enabling violence. He said stronger governance in Sindh and Punjab was a factor in the lower incidence of terrorism there.
