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Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Saturday held the PTI responsible for the resurgence in terrorism in the country, while the party slammed the minister for choosing to do so with a \u201chateful rhyme\u201d.<\/p>\n
The minister made the remarks while addressing a press conference alongside religious scholars in Lahore to show solidarity and unity after the suicide attack at an imambargah in Islamabad<\/a> on Friday.<\/p>\n Asked by a reporter whether the blast was a \u201cfailure of security agencies\u201d, Tarar asserted, \u201cNo, not at all.\u201d<\/p>\n He went on to stress that Pakistan\u2019s security institutions were hailed as examples internationally, recalling the recovery of abducted passengers \u201cwith minimal damages\u201d during the deadly Jaffar Express attack<\/a>.<\/p>\n The minister also brought up the Pak-India conflict in May 2025, when \u201cthe enemy was brought to its knees, sought mediation and said \u2018I\u2019m sorry\u2019\u201d.<\/p>\n He said that while a terrorist attack on the outskirts of Islamabad in the presence of the Safe City system and with \u201csecurity agencies having entire apparatus\u201d was \u201cdefinitely tragic\u201d, it was not a security failure.<\/p>\n \u201cI did not want to say something political but you must recall that Operation Raddul Fasaad<\/a> and Zarb-i-Azb<\/a> were also carried out in this country. You must also recall that suicide bombings had stopped. You must also recall that Karachi\u2019s peace was also restored,\u201d Tarar said.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cThen, a government came \u2014 I had not come with the intention of speaking about politics [and] it does not suit me to do that, given the institution I am present in but you have touched the topic.<\/p>\n \u201cI only want to remind you that someone said \u2018these are peaceful people and our brothers, we should have talks with them\u2019 and they were settled in settled areas,\u201d he said, indirectly referring to ex-premier Imran Khan\u2019s plan<\/a> to relocate<\/a> thousands of fighters from the outlawed Tehreek-i-Tali\u00adban Pakistan (TTP) to the country.<\/p>\n The minister continued, \u201cThat same thinking of Taliban Khan; we are paying for that same thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n He asserted that the state had acted against terrorists previously, expelling and killing them, and \u201cended terrorism\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cAbb yeh jo dehshatgardi waapis ayi hai, iss kay peechay PTI hai<\/em> (The PTI is behind this resurgence of terrorism),\u201d Tarar quipped while smiling.<\/p>\n The PTI, meanwhile, took strong exception to the minister\u2019s remark. In a post on X, the PTI\u2019s official account said: \u201cA day after a horrific terror attack, the information minister chose to joke, recite a hateful rhyme, and smile at a press conference.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s yet another reminder of how little regard they have for the people of Pakistan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n