Overview
- Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi labeled the KP chief minister’s words provocative and baseless, urging a retraction and public apology.
- KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi denounced the statement, warning it harms troop morale and public safety and calling for restraint.
- The Khyber Union of Journalists and the Pakistan Ulema Council condemned dragging places of worship into politics and cautioned against eroding trust in state institutions.
- Afghanistan’s Taliban highlighted the controversy, with Border Minister Noorullah Noori warning Pakistan’s leadership and amplifying tensions across the border.
- The dispute unfolds after Istanbul talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan ended without a joint statement, with coverage noting ongoing TTP attacks that have killed over a thousand security personnel since 2022 and no reported retraction from the KP chief minister.