Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has questioned why former Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa resettled terrorists in Pakistan, saying that he should be asked as former ISI chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid is already under arrest.
Speaking to the media at Parliament House on Thursday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif emphasized that terrorism is a global challenge that requires a collective response. He called for an inquiry into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) inability to curb terrorism.
Asif held the KP government responsible for the surge in terrorist activities, stating that it was more focused on fighting the political battle of the ousted PTI chief rather than tackling militancy.
He accused the provincial government of not taking any measures to curb terrorism. Asif asserted that Bajwa, Faiz, and PTI founder Imran Khan were responsible for bringing back terrorists to Pakistan.
“Faiz Hamid is already under arrest, but Bajwa must be questioned about why he resettled these militants.”
The scourge of terrorism continues to plague Pakistan making it the world’s second-most terrorism-affected country in 2024, as per a Global Terrorism Index 2025 report.
Pakistan — placed at the second spot from its previously fourth position — witnessed an alarming 45% increase in terrorism-related deaths with the total rising from 748 in 2023 to 1,081 in 2024 — one of the steepest surges globally.
Commenting on Khan’s reported letter to former US President Donald Trump, Asif remarked that Pakistan’s internal letter-writing politics has now gone international. He predicted that this letter, like previous ones, would meet the same fate.
Regarding political reconciliation, he said that dialogue is only possible when the opposing side is not hostile.
He clarified that he was not speaking on behalf of the establishment, but insisted that if reconciliation was not an option, then political resistance should be pursued.
