Tarar claims that PTI selected Sohail Afridi to aid terrorists.

Atta Tarar, the federal minister of information, charged Thursday that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was facilitating terrorism by nominating Sohail Afridi to be the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in order to “support terrorist networks”.

Tarar, who was speaking with Prime Minister’s Coordinator Ikhtiar Wali, said the action is indicative of PTI’s ongoing efforts to undermine Pakistan’s peace and security.

“PTI is a disorderly organization that aids terrorists.”

Atta Tarar claimed that Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts had been hampered by the “chaotic group” headed by the imprisoned PTI founder during a press conference in Islamabad.

Also Read: Gandapur resigns as chief minister of KP

“Terrorists were brought back and the National Action Plan was abolished during the tenure of the person sitting in jail,” he claimed. “In order to publicly facilitate these elements, Sohail Afridi has been nominated as Chief Minister.”

The most recent Sohail-Afridi-Ata-Tarar

He claimed that the PTI’s previous policies had given militants more confidence, pointing out that Pakistan had successfully pushed terrorists back during operations Radd-ul-Fasaad and Zarb-ul-Azb. “Peace was restored and the terrorists were consigned to hell,” Tarar continued, “but facilitation is still going on today.”

The scandal started when Imran Khan ordered Ali Amin Gandapur to be replaced as Chief Minister by Sohail Afridi, a member of the KP Assembly from the Khyber area. In response to this order, Gandapur submitted his resignation letter to the governor.

According to Atta Tarar, Gandapur was dismissed because he “was unable to facilitate terrorists properly” and was “not meeting Imran Khan’s expectations.” “Imran Khan instructed us to bring someone who is close to Murad Saeed and has a soft spot for terrorists,” he continued.

The government reiterates Pakistan’s security strategy.

The PTI’s position on national security was sharply criticized by the information minister. “Islamabad, not Kabul, is where Pakistan’s security policy is and will remain made,” Tarar declared. “We will never give Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to terrorists.”

Additionally, he asserted that despite the PTI’s 12-year rule in KP, terrorism has escalated, claiming that their strategy against radicals has “damaged national security.”

Following the London court’s ruling against YouTuber Adil Raja, who was fined £50,000 for making unfounded accusations against Brigadier (retd) Rashid Naseer, Atta Tarar added that the PTI’s “narrative has been shattered.”
“How can these anarchists now criticize the army or the state?” Tarar asked, referring to the decision as a moral setback for the PTI and its international affiliates.

Ikhtiar Wali’s comments regarding the party’s internal division

Ali Amin Gandapur was ousted “because of two women — Bushra Bibi and Aleema Khan,” according to Prime Minister’s Coordinator Ikhtiar Wali. He said that the PTI has been “crippled from within” by internal strife and personal allegiances, and that “the party will start from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and end there.”

Imran Khan’s sole objective, according to Wali, is to “clash with the state” and “defame Pakistan and its army.”

Sohail Afridi: Who Is He?

Khyber district provincial minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi, a member of the Shalobar tribe, has a lengthy history with the PTI through the Insaf Student Federation (ISF), the party’s student organization, where he previously held the position of provincial president.

Prior to joining PTI, Afridi ran as an independent from PK-70 (Khyber-II) in the KP Assembly in February 2024. Following a cabinet reshuffle, he was elevated to the position of Minister for Higher Education and later served as Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Communications and Works (C&W).

Sohail Afridi PTI

Within the PTI, Afridi has become well-known for his reform-minded views and grassroots contacts. He has denied that the party leadership has formally notified him of his selection as chief minister, despite allegations to the contrary.

He recently reaffirmed his party devotion and admiration for Ali Amin Gandapur by saying, “Our government is committed to continuing progress and stability in the province.”