KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Sunday that governor’s rule and the emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could end if the opposition agreed to a joint plan to combat terrorism.
Speaking to the media during a visit to the Karsaz Monument on the 19th anniversary of the Karsaz bombing, Bilawal stressed the need for political unity against terrorism.
“If the opposition is willing to fight against terrorism and we agree on a plan, governor’s rule and emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could end,” he said.
His remarks came a week after the federal government imposed governor’s rule and an emergency in KP. The Centre cited what it described as the provincial government’s disengagement from the fight against terrorism.
The move also followed a mobilisation campaign and protest march by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which governs KP and sits in opposition at the Centre. The party has demanded the release of its jailed founder, Imran Khan.
Bilawal Calls for Joint Action Against Terrorism
Bilawal said Pakistan had reached a point where terrorist attacks were occurring across the country, from Khyber to Khuzdar.
He criticised the decisions taken after the change of government in Afghanistan in 2021. According to Bilawal, the then Pakistani government allowed militants based in Afghanistan to return to Swat, Malakand and the former tribal areas.
He was referring to former prime minister Imran Khan’s plans to resettle members of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Pakistan.
Bilawal also said authorities had released militants who were previously imprisoned in the country.
“Today, Pakistan is suffering the losses from these wrong decisions,” he said.
The PPP chairman warned that terrorist activity continued to threaten communities across Pakistan. He said security personnel, law enforcement officials and civilians were all facing attacks.
PPP Backs Governor’s Rule in KP
Bilawal argued that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was facing a particularly serious security challenge because of the number of terrorist incidents reported there.
He criticised KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, alleging that the provincial leadership was unwilling to confront militants.
“If the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister (Sohail Afridi) was a coward, if he was not ready to defend his homeland, if he was not ready to fight those terrorists, then the PPP is ready to fight them,” Bilawal said.
He added that the PPP had therefore supported the federal government’s decision to impose governor’s rule in the province.
The party, he said, was ready to work with political groups and other stakeholders to counter terrorism.
Bilawal Emphasises National Unity
Bilawal said Pakistan’s fight against terrorism would suffer whenever authorities and political leaders failed to take attacks seriously.
He recalled that the PPP government had worked to build public support for counterterrorism operations in 2008. He said the party had also pursued institutional changes to strengthen the country’s response to militancy.
According to Bilawal, lasting progress depends on cooperation among political leaders, state institutions and the public.
He said the PPP would continue efforts to create an environment in which Pakistanis could unite against terrorist groups.
Bilawal stressed that the country would struggle to defeat terrorism without a collective national response.
