Naqvi to Gandapur: Will use all resources against terrorists

DHAKA: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday responded to the criticism by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, promising to use all available resources against the terrorists, after the latter questioned the federal cabinet member’s visit to Afghanistan.

At the same time, he also talked about monthly money being paid to the Taliban.

The response came after the chief minister earlier in the day repeated the long-standing stance of PTI and its founder Imran Khan, saying they would neither allow any military operation nor the use of drones in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Read more: Gandapur “questions” visits of Dar and Naqvi to Afghanistan

Gandapur also said that Naqvi lacked understanding of the problems faced by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He was of the view that the Centre did not take his province into confidence while sending Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Naqvi separately to Kabul.

However, Naqvi, who is currently in Dhaka to attend the Asian Cricket Council meeting, replied in a short and crisp manner, while using a one-liner.

“All [available] would be used against the terrorists,” the message posted on X read.

Read more: Govt decides to extend FC role as countrywide federal force

In a separate post, the interior minister asked a question. “How much money an important provincial official is paying to the Taliban in Dera Ismail Khan every month.”

ایک اہم صوبائی عہدےدار ڈیرہ اسماعیل خان میں طالبان کو کتنے پیسے ہر ماہ دیتا ہے ؟

— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) July 24, 2025

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in a post shared on X also joined Naqvi in mocking Gandapur for “pleasing the both sides”.

“One should learn from the KP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) how to play from both sides of the wicket,” the minister said.

WHAT HAPPENED IN KABUL

Last Sunday, Naqvi flew to Kabul to tell the Afghan Taliban government that terrorist outfits operating from Afghanistan were creating instability in the entire region, which required a swift response.

It is nothing new given that Pakistan has been witnessing a rise in terrorism ever since the Kabul takeover.

That’s why Islamabad is trying to convince the Afghan Taliban to take actions against the terrorists organisations. However, the effort has met no success so far.

Earlier, Dar had told a gathering in Kuala Lumpur that having a cup of tea in Kabul and opening Pakistan’s borders to terrorists were very damaging moves — a reference to the policy of the then PTI government after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan.

He was talking about the then ISI chief Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed who had famously remarked in September 2021 that “everyone thing would be okay” while sipping tea in a hotel in Kabul.

The former spymaster had arrived in Afghanistan soon after the Kabul takeover by the Taliban when the media persons noticed him in a lobby of the hotel.

Later, Imran Khan had admitted allowing the TTP terrorists to relocate and settle in the erstwhile tribal region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — a move that resulted in resurgence of terrorism in Pakistan.