Bajwa must be questioned on resettling terrorists in Pakistan: defence minister

• Faiz Hamid arrested, Bajwa must be questioned: minister.
• Imran Khan’s letter to Donald Trump criticised by Asif.
• Political reconciliation "impossible" amid ongoing hostilities.

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, Asif said that terrorism is a global issue that must be tackled collectively, adding that an inquiry should first be conducted into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's (KP) failure to control terrorism.

The defence minister held the KP government accountable for the rising terrorism incidents, saying that it was focused on fighting the deposed PTI chief’s political battle instead of countering militants.

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.