Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, reacting to a statement by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, said that the “fake chief minister of Form 47,” produced by an illegitimate system, had declared Pakistan’s three other provinces bordering Punjab as the source of terrorism.

Sohail Afridi said the statement had damaged Pakistan’s position on terrorism at the international level and raised further questions about the mindset of those who created and are running the current system.

He said Maryam Nawaz’s statement had given Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India a “clean chit” over terrorism in Pakistan.

The KP chief minister said that during the Pakistan-India war, the same group, including Nawaz Sharif, remained absent and did not issue any statement until the war ended. Referring to the Dawn Leaks controversy, he said terrorism had also been blamed on Pakistan through that episode.

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Afridi alleged that these people had always prioritised personal interests over national interests. According to him, Pakistan, its people and its institutions were respected by them only when they served their personal interests.

He said the “prejudiced tone” against the smaller provinces reflected the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s alleged divisive approach towards the country. He added that declaring three federating units as the source of terrorism amounted to further weakening the foundations of Pakistan.

Sohail Afridi said that on February 8, 2024, the people had rejected them not only across Pakistan but also in Punjab and Lahore. He said the “shameful defeat” was another lesson for those who had brought such people to power and continued to support them, adding that a country could not be strengthened by disregarding the people’s votes and decisions.

Meanwhile, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan strongly condemned Maryam Nawaz’s remarks, calling them irresponsible and regrettable.

Shafi Jan said using terrorism for political point-scoring was an old practice of the PML-N and that the statement could create hatred and mistrust among provinces.

He said KP had been a frontline province in the fight against terrorism, with its police and people making huge sacrifices. “The fight against terrorism is not the battle of one province but of the entire nation,” he said.

Shafi Jan urged Maryam Nawaz to acknowledge the sacrifices of KP and other provinces instead of blaming them for terrorism. He also demanded that she apologize to the public for her remarks.

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had said in a statement that she faced less of a threat from the neighbouring country and more from the neighbouring province, from where terrorism was coming into Punjab.