Opposition must support centre against terrorism to end KP emergency, says Bilawal

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), addressed the issue of ending the emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Sunday. He emphasized that the opposition could contribute to this cause by backing the federal government's efforts against terrorism. During a gathering at the Martyrs’ Memorial in Karachi to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the Karsaz tragedy, Bilawal criticized the non-functional KP Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi, for his reluctance to tackle terrorism.

He confidently stated that his party was prepared to confront terrorist threats and warned of the potential for the security situation to worsen further in KP.

Recalling the Karsaz attack, Bilawal highlighted it as a tragic event in Pakistan's history and paid tribute to the victims. He also reminisced about Benazir Bhutto's return to Pakistan despite significant security threats, and how her procession was targeted in a major terrorist attack. The PPP leader stressed that they had fought terrorism and that numerous individuals from various backgrounds had sacrificed their lives in the battle against militancy.

Bilawal criticized the release of terrorists and some convicted prisoners, stating that Pakistan was now enduring the repercussions of these decisions. He attributed the province's plight to these actions, asserting that KP was grappling with the most severe level of terrorism. He reiterated the PPP's commitment to the fight against terrorism, pledging to continue until militancy was eradicated from the nation.

Bilawal cautioned against allowing anyone to cause instability and defended the federal government's decision to impose governor’s rule and an emergency in KP, asserting that both steps were constitutional.

He urged the opposition to engage in dialogue if they desired the aforementioned measures to be withdrawn, stressing that national unity was vital to defeating terrorism. Bilawal stressed that the country could only succeed if political forces united against the threat. On other political matters, he expressed concern over Pakistan's severe economic crisis and called on political parties to partake in proposed parliamentary talks on electoral reforms.

Regarding the creation of new provinces and administrative units, Bilawal suggested that these could be established through constitutional and legal procedures, with the approval of provincial governments. He questioned why a new province had not been formed in Gilgit-Baltistan, given the consensus on the issue. Finally, Bilawal reiterated that the PPP was not aligned with the federal government, advocating for political compromise and dialogue to address the country's challenges.