Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif strongly condemned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday for spreading a “fake narrative” regarding the recent terrorist attack on the Jaffar Express. Speaking in the National Assembly, Asif accused PTI’s social media platforms of misrepresenting the incident and undermining national unity by promoting false information.

Asif expressed deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives in the attack and criticized PTI for distorting the situation. He specifically pointed out how PTI-affiliated social media accounts falsely claimed that the terrorists had released the hostages, rather than recognizing the efforts and sacrifices made by the armed forces in the successful rescue operation.

The Defence Minister also took aim at PTI leaders living abroad, accusing them of continuously criticizing national institutions while evading accountability. He reminded the assembly that many of PTI’s leaders were products of past military regimes, having supported martial law and constitutional violations.

While admitting that his party had also supported a military regime in the past, Asif emphasized that they had the decency to acknowledge their mistakes. He urged all political leaders to learn from past failures in order to move Pakistan forward.

Asif condemned PTI’s attempts to politicize issues related to terrorism and national security, stressing that the country’s integrity should come before any political agenda. He called on all political leaders to put aside personal interests and honor the sacrifices made by Pakistan’s armed forces in the fight against terrorism.

The statement followed a two-day operation by security forces to neutralize the terrorists who hijacked the Jaffar Express on Tuesday. The attack occurred when separatist militants ambushed the train, which was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, blowing up the railway track and launching rocket attacks on the train.