Asif, Tarar Fire Fresh Salvoes at PTI After Talks Deadlock
The Asif Tarar PTI confrontation escalated on Sunday as ministers Khawaja Asif and Attaullah Tarar launched a fresh attack on the opposition party after marathon talks collapsed.
They accused the PTI of double standards on terrorism and of using consultation calls as a delaying tactic. The main disagreement was counterterrorism policy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Asif Tarar PTI exchange: what each side said
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had said the PTI side wanted counterterrorism measures agreed jointly by the federal and provincial governments after consulting stakeholders.
Responding to Afridi’s post on X, Tarar said: “PTI’s lame old excuse that all parties should have been consulted has outlived its life in the past three years. Federal government did exactly that but you never responded to our proposals.”
Tarar said KP had engaged with federal calls for a joint mechanism only because it was “politically weak”. He accused the party of double standards: its narrative on terrorism “is in favour of terrorists” and the “K-P government’s policy only encourages and supports the spread of terrorism in the province”.
He asked why KP had skipped federal Apex Committee meetings, why its cabinet had not condemned the Afghan Taliban over support for terrorism in Pakistan, and whether it had ever openly backed the forces and police who laid down thousands of lives fighting terrorism there.
He also questioned the non-implementation of the National Action Plan on undocumented Afghans and police and Counter Terrorism Department capacity. “So stop selling this false narrative of collective consultations, jirgas or any other method as this means nothing on the ground other than delaying tactics,” he said.
He closed with a warning: “This time the State won’t let you embroil and confuse people by your old age rhetoric and verbosity that has already brought KPK to the brink of collapse.”
Asif challenges PTI leaders to a TV debate
Asif accused Imran Khan of bringing terrorism to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and backing the settlement of terrorists there, citing assembly speeches and the media record. “This terrorism was brought to K-P by their leader Imran. He was the biggest supporter of settling them in K-P. The record of assembly speeches and the media bears witness to this,” he said.
He challenged PTI leaders to a television debate and said: “You are partners of the terrorists. Your hands are also stained with the blood that is being shed in K-P. The nation will hold you accountable, and so will God.”
Asif said “God willing, Pakistan will always remain alive”, calling Islamabad a symbol of national unity for 250 million Pakistanis.
Why the talks failed
The marathon talks, chaired by NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq over two days, ended in deadlock early on Sunday over counterterrorism policy in KP. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the province backed out of a written agreement and a 72-hour implementation plan in the final phase: “Last night, during the final phase of negotiations, the K-P Government backed out of these commitments. Security must not be politicised while the province is at War.”
The opposition insisted on a meeting with Imran Khan before the march could be called off. With no agreement reached, the PTI said the long march would go ahead.
Related
- Naqvi: PTI Government Talks Collapsed After Nine Commitments Dropped
- Naqvi Says Talks Have Collapsed, Accuses KP CM of Sabotaging Negotiations
- Sohail Afridi Unveils Five-Day March Plan to Reach Peshawar by Oct 8
- Centre Seriously Considering Emergency in KP, Minister Says
Frequently asked questions
What did Khawaja Asif and Attaullah Tarar say about the PTI?
Asif called PTI leaders “partners of the terrorists” and challenged them to a TV debate; Tarar accused the party of double standards and of using consultation demands as delaying tactics.
Why did the government-opposition talks fail?
They deadlocked over counterterrorism policy in KP: the government wanted a written agreement and a 72-hour plan, while the opposition insisted on meeting Imran Khan before calling off the march.
What happens to the PTI’s long march?
It went ahead from Lakki Marwat on Sunday afternoon, with convoys converging from several southern districts.
