ISLAMABAD          -          chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Tuesday lashed out at the ruling coalition in the centre for its alleged mishandling of “pro-Pakistan” Taliban government in Afghanistan and warned that terrorism in the country would rise further if Islamabad severed its relations with Kabul. Addressing a seminar, organized by PTI here via video link on the recent resurgence of terrorism in the country, former prime minister Khan fired a broadside on some key ministers of the PML-Nled federal government for giving statements about targeting hideouts of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) in Afghanistan. Last month, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan in an interview had said that Pakistan might target TTP sanctuaries in Afghanistan if the Taliban government in Kabul didn’t take action against them. The PTI chief went on to say that some “unwise” ministers were giving very “irresponsible” statements about Afghanistan. “It we severed our relations with Afghanistan, then this war on terror would increase further,” he warned. He added that if the Taliban government stopped cooperating with Pakistan on the issue, then terrorism couldn’t be stopped in the country. Khan blamed the federal government both for the present economic crisis and resurgence of terrorism in the country. He accused that the coalition government instead of focusing on both the issues only remained busy to get clean chit in corruption cases against them. He told the participants that Pakistan had the opportunity to make some peaceful settlement with the TTP after the pro-Pakistan government seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021. “It was the best time… They (Taliban) could have put pressure on TTP,” he said. He further said that Taliban after their takeover had asked TTP militants to return to Pakistan. “We should have focused on the resettlement of TTP (militants) when they were pushed towards Pakistan.” The Chairman PTI said that then meeting of National Security Committee (NSC) under his premiership had decided that they should give attention on resettlement when around 45,000 people, including 5,000 to 7,000 fighters, were returning from the neighbouring country. He said that this was mere propaganda that the then PTI government only took initiative to hold peace talks with the outlawed militant group. “All stakeholders had sit together and it was discussed how to resettle them.” He further said that military operations did not always remain successful and these have their own effects.