Bilawal says KP governor's rule could end if opposition agrees to fight against terrorism

PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed his views on Sunday regarding the imposition of governor's rule and emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). He stated that if the opposition was willing to fight against terrorism and agreed on a plan, then the governor's rule and emergency could end. This comment came during a media session in Karachi, where Bilawal was visiting the Karsaz Monument to mark the 19th anniversary of the Karsaz bombing.

The imposition of the governor's rule and emergency in KP was announced by the Centre a week prior, citing the provincial government's "deliberate disengagement" from the fight against terrorism. The decision was also influenced by a mobilization drive and protest march organized by the opposition party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), demanding the release of its jailed founder, Imran Khan.

Bilawal expressed concern over the rise of terrorist attacks across Pakistan, noting that they were taking place from Khyber to Khuzdar. He lamented that when Kabul took control in 2021, the Pakistani government also invited terrorists back from Afghanistan to live in Pakistan's former tribal areas, such as Swat and Malakand. Bilawal pointed out that terrorists who were previously jailed in Pakistan had also been released.

He further stated that Pakistan was now suffering due to these unfortunate decisions. Bilawal emphasized that terrorists were attempting to remove Pakistan's flag from Swat, and there was an ongoing struggle against terrorism throughout the country, with army personnel, police, and citizens being targeted. However, he added that in the province where most terrorist incidents occur, which is KP, its chief minister, Sohail Afridi, refused to confront the terrorists.

Bilawal vowed that if Afridi was a coward or unwilling to defend his homeland and fight the terrorists, the PPP would join forces with everyone to combat these terrorists. He stressed that the party had prepared the entire society to fight terrorism since 2008 when they were in power. Bilawal concluded by emphasizing the importance of unity in fighting terrorism, stating that they would continue to work towards creating an environment where everyone in Pakistan would stand together against terrorism.