Karachi Attack Tarar says terrorists should not be labelled as militants

Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday criticised the growing use of the term “militants” for people involved in terrorist attacks.

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Referring to media coverage of the attack on a Pakistan Rangers facility in Karachi, Tarar said the incident was an act of terrorism and should be described clearly.

He said innocent people lost their lives in the attack. Therefore, those responsible should be called terrorists.

Tarar added that terrorism has no caste, colour, creed or religion. He said accurate language matters when reporting such incidents.

Meanwhile, Pakistan summoned Afghanistan’s chargé d’affaires to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and lodged a formal protest over the attack, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said.

The diplomatic action followed Saturday night’s assault on a Rangers headquarters in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar area.

The attack killed three security personnel and injured four others.

Security forces responded immediately. They killed three attackers and arrested one suspect alive, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

ISPR said investigators linked the attackers to Jamaatul Ahrar. It also identified the arrested suspect as an Afghan national.

In addition, Andrabi said Pakistan directly shared its concerns with the Afghan envoy in Islamabad.

At the same time, Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul delivered a similar protest to Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry.

According to the Foreign Office, Pakistan based the protest on evidence that pointed to the involvement of Afghan nationals.

Officials said the evidence included information linked to the suspect arrested during the Karachi operation.

Security sources identified the suspect as Usman Ali. They said he told investigators that he entered Pakistan from Jalalabad about a week before the attack.

During questioning, he allegedly admitted that he belonged to Jamaatul Ahrar.

He also claimed that Ahrar Moulvi led the group from Afghanistan.

Security officials further stated that the suspect and his accomplices received training in Afghanistan before carrying out the attack.

Authorities said the investigation remains under way and more details may emerge later.