Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is under siege, not just from the resurgence of terrorism, but from the treachery of those who sit in positions of power and then pretend to be victims. While our security forces are laying down their lives in the fight against militancy, the leadership of the province; and disturbingly, operatives within political parties like PTI and PTM, are quietly aiding the very enemy they claim to oppose.
This is not hearsay. It is a reality playing out across the province every day.
When a security convoy leaves its post, whether it’s police or military, it’s often attacked within minutes. The speed, the accuracy, the timing… it all points to one horrifying truth: someone close is tipping them off. And increasingly, fingers are being pointed not at anonymous saboteurs, but at known faces within PTI and PTM ranks.
In meetings with military and law enforcement officials, in off-record conversations with journalists, and even in casual discussions with PTI insiders, one theme keeps emerging: the insider threat is real.
Operatives and workers from both PTI and PTM are acting as informants for the Taliban. It’s a blunt charge, and a serious one, but not without weight. In the southern districts, in the newly merged areas, and now even in settled parts of KP, there are clear patterns. Security forces move, and militants are already waiting. Only someone from the inside could know the details of those movements.
We are told by officials that local PTI and PTM members are using mobile phones to alert Taliban fighters. As soon as a convoy departs, calls are made, routes are shared, and blood is spilled.
Let’s be very clear: PTI’s hypocrisy has reached criminal levels.
In cabinet meetings, they approve operations. They summon the army under Article 245. They oversee the establishment of IDP camps. Their PDMA officials are fully involved in displacement logistics. The entire state machinery in KP is executing the operation, yet the same party leaders are standing on public stages disowning it.
From Ali Amin Gandapur to Barrister Saif, from Asad Qaiser to Barrister Gohar, they speak from both sides of their mouths. They say one thing in Islamabad, another in Peshawar, and something entirely different in Swat or Bajaur.
They are not confused. They are cowards; terrified that, like the ANP before them, they will become targets if they openly support the fight against terrorism.
So instead of leading, they hide. Instead of uniting the province, they mislead the public. Instead of standing with the army, they cooperate with militants in private and vilify operations in public.
If they truly oppose the operation, they should resign and let someone braver take charge. These seats aren’t for people who want power without responsibility. You can’t be in government and pretend to be in opposition.
As for PTM, their narrative of rights and justice has now morphed into a dangerous parallel. Their social media messaging is indistinguishable from that of the Taliban. They amplify anti-army rhetoric. They delegitimize state actions. And increasingly, there’s evidence, both anecdotal and digital, that their grassroots workers are coordinating with militant elements in certain areas.
This is no longer a movement for civil rights. It has become a mouthpiece for destabilisation.
What’s perhaps most shocking is what PTI workers say behind closed doors.
I’ve sat with them. I’ve heard them say it with my own ears. Youth wing activists, MPAs, ISF members, they speak with admiration about the Taliban. They say the Taliban are doing “the right thing.” They whisper that Imran Khan is their only leader, and if Pakistan doesn’t let him rule, then they don’t care about Pakistan or its army.
They want power. That’s it. And if they can’t get it through votes, they’ll turn a blind eye, or worse, to those who use violence to tear the system down.
These people glorify the Taliban in private and mock the state in public. If the army accommodates them, they’re patriots. If the army demands accountability, they shift allegiance — not just rhetorically, but strategically.
On August 14th, while the nation was marking its Independence Day, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was busy in DI Khan, organising a protest “for Imran Khan’s release.” But the people didn’t show up. His call failed.
Meanwhile, his government had already committed to the security operation, had already mobilised IDP camps, had already co-signed military presence in the region.
Yet he, and his allies, have the audacity to say in public: “We don’t believe in this operation.”
They say they are scared the Taliban will target them like they did ANP leaders. Well, if fear rules your decisions, you don’t deserve to rule at all.
Let’s not sugarcoat it. The entire political structure in KP is compromised. They want the perks of office, the visibility of governance, and the loyalty of voters — but when it comes to taking a stand against terrorism, they vanish.
They have outsourced the fight to the army, while they engage in press conferences, self-pity, and social media spin.
They think the people are fools. They think they can lie endlessly and still hold power.
But the truth is out.
Security forces now suspect political actors, not just as sympathisers but as active collaborators.
And if the state doesn’t confront this now, if it doesn’t purge the ranks of political traitors, we will once again bury our soldiers, see our schools blown up, and watch our province collapse into chaos.
There is no more middle ground.
You either stand with Pakistan and its security forces, or you are enabling the forces that want to destroy it.
PTI and PTM leaders must declare, without ambiguity: do they support the state, or do they support its enemies?
If they can’t answer that, the answer is already clear.
