KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said the emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could be lifted if the opposition supports the federal government in the fight against terrorism, ARY News reported.
Addressing a ceremony marking the 19th anniversary of the Karsaz tragedy on October 18, Bilawal said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had taken an oath that he would not confront terrorists. He said if Afridi was not ready to fight terrorism, the PPP would take up the fight.
Bilawal said the PPP had always faced terrorism with courage and that people from all walks of life had sacrificed their lives in the war against terrorism. He also paid tribute to the armed forces for their sacrifices to protect the country.
He said Afridi was not prepared to participate in the fight against terrorism, which was why the PPP had supported a government decision. He added that the campaign against terrorism would continue until the country was free of terrorists.
The PPP chairman stressed that the fight against terrorism required national unity, saying the country could not succeed unless all sides stood together.
Bilawal said Pakistan was facing a historic economic crisis and expressed concern that conditions could worsen rather than improve.
He said democratic institutions needed improvement and recalled that he had proposed forming a parliamentary committee on electoral reforms.
The PPP chairman said the opposition wanted Governor’s Rule to end, but this would require cooperation with the federal government in combating terrorism. He added that the emergency could be lifted if the opposition supported the federal government’s efforts against terrorism.
Bilawal urged the opposition to engage in dialogue with the federal government if it wanted Governor’s Rule or the emergency to end. He also invited opposition parties to join the proposed parliamentary committee on electoral reforms.
Commenting on the creation of new provinces or administrative units, Bilawal said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was aware of the policies of the PPP and President Asif Ali Zardari on the matter.
He said new provinces could be created through constitutional and legal procedures and questioned why provinces were not being established in areas where consensus already existed.