ISLAMABAD — Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday condemned what he described as an “unfortunate trend” in media coverage, explicitly criticizing international news outlets that use the term “militants” to soften descriptions of violent extremists.
The minister’s remarks followed global reporting on a recent assault targeting a Pakistan Rangers facility in Karachi, which resulted in the martyrdom of three security personnel.
Terrorists are terrorists, they have no caste, colour, creed or religion. There seems to be a trend of calling these terrorists, “militants” which is extremely unfortunate. In a latest news report, TRT World @trtworld is now using this term. The Karachi attack was a terrorist…
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) June 30, 2026
The Semantics of National Security
During his address, Tarar took direct aim at a news report published by the Turkish public broadcaster TRT World, which labeled the perpetrators of the Karachi installation raid as “militants.” He argued that shifting away from accurate terminology dilutes the gravity of violent crimes committed against state personnel and civilians.
“The Karachi attack was a terrorist attack in which innocent people were killed. Terrorists must not be called by any other name. Terrorists are terrorists, they have no caste, colour, creed or religion.”
— Information Minister Attaullah Tarar
Investigation Ties Network to Cross-Border Sancutaries
The policy statement coincides with major operational updates from the military’s media wing. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) recently announced the capture of a primary suspect involved in the Rangers facility raid, uncovering an explicit cross-border tracking sequence:
| Investigation Aspect | Verified Findings & Actions |
| Target Site | Pakistan Rangers Facility, Karachi |
| Casualties | Three security personnel martyred |
| Apprehended Terrorist | Verified Afghan national |
| Operational Allegiance | Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (Identified by ISPR as an Indian proxy) |
| Logistical Pipeline | Formally trained inside Afghanistan before crossing the border |
| Bilateral Action | Afghan chargé d’affaires summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
Escalating Diplomatic Friction with Kabul
The security breach has significantly worsened diplomatic relations between Islamabad and the Taliban administration in Kabul. On Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally issued a strong demarche to the Afghan chargé d’affaires, demanding immediate accountability.
Minister Tarar has regularly criticized the regime in Kabul, accusing the Afghan Taliban of utilizing a “perversion of religion” to legitimize authoritarian rule while actively providing safe havens for anti-Pakistan actors. Despite continuous formal appeals from Pakistani civil and military leadership urging Kabul to dismantle active terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, officials state that these demands have consistently gone unheeded.
