Imran Khan Slams Pak Government Over "Irresponsible Statements" Against Taliban

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has condemned the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz- led government's "irresponsible statements" against the Taliban and warned that a deterioration in Afghan ties could result in a "never-ending" war against terrorism, Dawn reported.

Addressing a seminar on terrorism on Tuesday, Imran Khan spoke about the criticism levelled at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for leading peace talks with the TTP, adding that the opposition parties should not "lie to the people."

He stated that all stakeholders were informed about the need for talks with the TTP and the plan to resettle their members.

"A military operation can be a part of the overall peace settlement but it is never successful on its own," Dawn quoted Imran Khan as saying.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan slammed Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah for his "irresponsible" statements about Pakistan taking action against TTP hideouts in Afghanistan, as per the Dawn report.

PTI Chairman said that if the Taliban decided to stop cooperating with Pakistan, it could result in a "never-ending war" against terrorism.

Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan questioned the Shehbaz Sharif-led government on why they did not raise the issue of recent incidents at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border with the Afghan government, as per the news report.

He asserted that another war against terrorism would turn into a curse for Pakistan if ties with Afghanistan deteriorated.

He stressed that Pakistan should not seek help from the United States and warned that it would cause internal discord among locals if drone attacks were conducted. Notably, the ceasefire between Pakistan and TTP ended on November 28, 2022.

Pakistan has been witnessing terror incidents over the past few months, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to Dawn.

Pakistan has been witnessing an increase in terror attacks across the country, believed to have been planned by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) leaders based in Afghanistan. The TTP, which has links with the Afghan Taliban, executed over 100 attacks last year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)