Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has called for former Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to be questioned over the resettlement of militants in Pakistan, stating that ex-ISI chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid is already under arrest.
Speaking to the media at Parliament House on Thursday, Asif said that terrorism remains a global challenge that must be tackled collectively. However, he stressed the need for an inquiry into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) failure to curb militant activity, blaming the provincial government for its lack of action.
“The KP government is more focused on fighting the deposed PTI chief’s political battle rather than addressing terrorism,” Asif said, holding provincial authorities responsible for the surge in militant attacks.
He further claimed that Bajwa, Faiz, and PTI founder Imran Khan were directly responsible for the return of terrorists to Pakistan.
“Faiz Hamid is already facing legal action, but Bajwa must also be questioned about why he facilitated the return of these militants,” he stated.
His remarks come as Pakistan ranks as the world’s second-most terrorism-affected country in 2024, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2025. The report highlighted a 45% increase in terrorism-related deaths, rising from 748 in 2023 to 1,081 in 2024, marking one of the steepest surges globally.
On the political front, Asif dismissed reports of PTI founder Imran Khan writing a letter to former US President Donald Trump, saying that Pakistan’s internal “letter-writing politics” has now gone international. He predicted that this letter, like previous ones, would have no real impact.
Regarding political reconciliation, Asif maintained that dialogue is only possible when the opposing side is not hostile. While clarifying that he was not speaking on behalf of the establishment, he emphasized that if reconciliation is not an option, then political resistance should be pursued.
