Bilawal accuses KP govt of ‘political suicide attack’
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday blamed the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for the circumstances that led to the imposition of an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), describing it as a “political suicide attack” on the provincial government.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Bilawal said the PTI leadership had contributed to the current political and security situation by failing to cooperate with the federal government in the fight against terrorism.
“Their responsible leadership knows, even if it does not admit it publicly, that the PTI itself carried out a political suicide attack on its KP government,” he said.
Bilawal said the PTI should have presented constitutional, legal or political grounds for opposing the federal government’s decision, adding that neither President Asif Ali Zardari nor the PPP had received a convincing justification for rejecting the move.
He said the PPP had called for talks with the opposition, particularly the PTI, when the summary for imposing an emergency was first sent to the president. The party wanted the federal government’s concerns about the KP government’s cooperation in counterterrorism efforts to be addressed through negotiations, he added.
The PPP chairman said his party’s representatives were part of the committee holding talks with the opposition and that he had received encouraging reports about the progress of negotiations.
One proposal was to identify the areas most affected by terrorism in KP and formally declare them terrorism-affected areas through the provincial government, he said.
He added that the federal government, provincial government and KP chief minister had also been considering an agreement to jointly tackle terrorism at the national and provincial levels.
Bilawal said he had hoped the negotiations would lead to a major political breakthrough and reiterated that dialogue could still provide a way forward.
He warned that restricting the political space of one party could affect other political parties and Pakistani citizens as well.
Pakistan had reached a point where a difficult constitutional decision had to be made, he said, citing war-like conditions along the border with Afghanistan and continued terrorist attacks across the country. KP was among the provinces worst affected by terrorism, he added.
Criticising the KP chief minister’s reported remarks at a public gathering about the federal government’s counterterrorism efforts, Bilawal said it was politically self-destructive for a provincial chief executive to tell the public he would not support the federal government’s fight against terrorism.
He said the PPP had no reason to retreat from the campaign against terrorism, noting that its leaders and workers had sacrificed their lives in the struggle.
Bilawal said President Zardari took pride in his role in the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment and the restoration of the 1973 Constitution. However, he added, no convincing constitutional, legal or political reason had been presented to justify rejecting the emergency summary under the circumstances described by the government.
Despite the decision, the federal government should keep the door open for negotiations, he said, urging the prime minister to reach out to opposition leaders and other political parties.
Bilawal stressed that an emergency was an extraordinary measure that could not remain in force indefinitely. Lasting success against terrorism required all political parties, federal and provincial governments, and state institutions to work together, he said.
The fight against terrorism should not be left to the police, armed forces or individual political parties, he added, saying the entire nation needed to unite against the threat.
Pakistan had defeated terrorism in the past, but success in the current circumstances would require national unity and collective efforts, Bilawal said. The present challenge was more complicated than previous phases of the campaign and demanded a comprehensive strategy involving all political stakeholders, he added.
Referring to the recent conflict with India, Bilawal said Pakistan had inflicted a defeat on India that would be remembered by history.
He said Pakistan had shot down six Indian aircraft and that New Delhi would find it difficult to accept Pakistan’s performance, particularly given its claims of being a regional security provider. India might continue trying to destabilise Pakistan through different means, he added.
Bilawal accused India of sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan through the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and separatist organisations. He said India’s role in the changing situation in Afghanistan could not be ignored.
The PPP chairman also said Pakistan had taken on the responsibility of helping efforts to establish peace between Iran and the United States. While Pakistan’s diplomatic initiatives could earn international appreciation, some forces might oppose them, he added.
He alleged that certain states and Zionist forces could try to interfere in Pakistan’s domestic affairs and create instability by supporting militant organisations.
Bilawal said the government and opposition would have to stand together to address these threats. The KP leadership needed to assure the public that it was ready to defend the province and the country against terrorism, he added.
The PPP had never been afraid of terrorists and would continue the fight if necessary, even on its own, Bilawal said, while reiterating the party’s willingness to work with other political parties. He added that the party would also confront those accused of backing terrorist groups.
Political consensus was essential to address the country’s security challenges, he said, warning that failure to reach an agreement would harm both political parties and the country as a whole.
Bilawal welcomed the federal government’s willingness to consider forming a committee at the prime minister’s level in response to his party’s request. However, he said a committee comprising only PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) representatives would not fulfil its intended purpose.
He questioned the usefulness of a committee that excluded the opposition, saying its participation could help make progress even if it did not resolve all differences.
Referring to the National Action Plan, Bilawal said political parties had reached a broad consensus during the government of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, when representatives of the government and opposition joined hands to develop a strategy against terrorism.
He called for a similar committee to prepare a joint national strategy in the country’s interest and asked whether the PTI was willing to participate despite its political differences with the government.
Political parties should make every effort to create space for dialogue and reach agreement on matters of national importance, he said, while avoiding decisions that could harm their own political standing.
Bilawal said the decision to impose an emergency had been taken and that the PPP would continue efforts to help the country deal with terrorism. He expressed hope that the measures would improve security and protect the people of KP.
He again invited the opposition to hold talks with the government and other political parties to create conditions in which the emergency would no longer be necessary.
“If political dialogue produces an agreement and circumstances improve to the point where the emergency is no longer required, I will personally stand in this House and request the prime minister to end it,” he said.
Bilawal said Pakistan needed national unity, political reconciliation and collective action to defeat terrorism, warning that continued political divisions would ultimately harm the entire country.
He announced that the PPP would support the imposition of an emergency in KP.