Attaullah Tarar says terrorists must not be called ‘militants’

Pakistan’s information minister criticises media terminology after the Karachi Rangers attack and urges accurate reporting of terrorism.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has criticised the use of the word “militants” for people involved in terrorist attacks. He said the term fails to reflect the seriousness of terrorism and urged media organisations to use accurate language.

Tarar urges media to use accurate terms

On Tuesday, Tarar referred to a report by Turkish broadcaster TRT World about the recent attack on a Rangers facility in Karachi. He criticised the report for describing the attackers as “militants.”

He said the Karachi attack was a terrorist attack that killed innocent people. Therefore, he urged journalists and news organisations to avoid alternative descriptions.

“Terrorists must not be called by any other name,” Tarar said.

He also stressed that terrorism has no caste, colour, creed or religion. Instead, he said every terrorist should be identified by the same term.

Government highlights investigation

Meanwhile, Tarar’s remarks came days after Pakistan’s military announced the arrest of a suspect linked to the Karachi attack.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the suspect is an Afghan national with links to the banned Jaamatul Ahrar group. The military said the attackers trained in Afghanistan before crossing into Pakistan.

Pakistan raises concerns with Afghanistan

Earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned Afghanistan’s chargé d’affaires to lodge a strong protest over the Karachi attack.

Islamabad has repeatedly asked the Taliban administration to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries that Pakistan says support cross-border attacks. However, Pakistani officials say Kabul has not acted on those requests.

Tarar repeats criticism of Taliban

Furthermore, Tarar renewed his criticism of the Afghan Taliban. He accused the group of misusing religion to justify its rule.

He also alleged that the Taliban provides safe havens for terrorists and supports their training and facilitation. Finally, he said Pakistan would continue raising these concerns through diplomatic channels.