Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday said the opposition could help end the emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by supporting the federal government’s efforts against terrorism.
Addressing a gathering at the Martyrs’ Memorial in Karachi on Sunday to mark the 19th anniversary of the Karsaz tragedy, Bilawal said non-functional KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was unwilling to confront terrorism. Whereas, he said, his party was ready to fight terrorists and also warned that the security situation may deteriorate further in the province.
“If the opposition stands with the federal government against terrorism, the emergency can end,” he said, adding that the current situation suggested conditions could worsen rather than improve.
Recalling the Karsaz attack, Bilawal described it as one of the tragic events in Pakistan’s history and paid tribute to those killed. He said former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had returned to Pakistan despite serious security threats, but her procession was targeted in a major terrorist attack.
He said the PPP had confronted terrorism and that people from all walks of life had sacrificed their lives in the fight against militancy. He also recalled the military operation in Swat, saying it fulfilled Benazir Bhutto’s promise that Pakistan’s flag would fly there.
Bilawal alleged that terrorists had been allowed to return and resettle in the country and that some prisoners convicted of terrorism had been released. He said Pakistan was now suffering the consequences of those decisions, adding that KP was facing the highest level of terrorism.
The PPP chairman said his party considered the fight against terrorism its responsibility and would continue it until militancy was eliminated from the country. He also warned against allowing anyone to create instability.
Defending the federal government’s decision to impose governor’s rule and an emergency in KP, Bilawal said both measures were constitutional. He said the opposition would have to engage in dialogue if it wanted the measures withdrawn.
He stressed that national unity was essential to defeating terrorism, saying the country would not succeed unless political forces joined hands against the threat.
On other political matters, Bilawal said Pakistan was facing a historic economic crisis and urged political parties to participate in proposed parliamentary talks on electoral reforms.
Regarding the creation of new provinces and administrative units, he said these could be established through constitutional and legal procedures, with provincial approval. Referring to Gilgit-Baltistan, he questioned why a new province had not been created if consensus existed on the matter.
Bilawal reiterated that the PPP was not part of the federal government, while calling for political compromise and dialogue to address the country’s challenges.