Bilawal slams PTI's Afridi over K-P security, says PPP ready to fight terrorists

Calls for 'united policy' against terrorism to end emergency in K-P

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday lashed out at Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) “non-functional” chief minister Sohail Afridi over the province’s security situation, saying the PPP was ready to fight terrorists if the PTI-led provincial government was unwilling to do so.

"If the chief minister of K-P is not ready to fight terrorists, then PPP is ready to fight them, and that is why we supported the government's decision to impose governors' rule", Bilawal said while speaking to the media during a visit to the Karsaz Monument on the anniversary of the Karsaz bombing.

He also defended the imposition of governor’s rule, saying his party had backed the move in view of the security challenges.

Read: Bilawal offers to approach PM for ending K-P emergency if PTI agrees to political dialogue

Bilawal underscored that Pakistan was once again confronting “terrorism from Khyber to Khuzdar”, recalling that the PPP government in 2008 had launched operations in Swat and other parts of K-P to fulfil a commitment made by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

“When the PPP formed the government in 2008, we launched operations in Swat and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and defeated the terrorists,” he said, adding that Pakistan was now facing the consequences of decisions to release militants who had previously been held in the country’s prisons.

Bilawal recalled that Benazir, in her final public address, had warned that certain forces did not want Swat to remain part of Pakistan. He said the country was once again facing attempts to undermine its control in the region.

He also criticised the handling of terrorism-related incidents, saying such attacks were not taken seriously and alleging that evidence had been washed away even in the Karsaz attack.

The PPP chairman said his party had once been at the forefront of the fight against terrorism, but the struggle had since become a collective responsibility, with citizens across the country striving for peace.

Bilawal underscored that terrorism should not be used for political point-scoring and urged political leaders to speak out unequivocally against terrorists

Read More: Bilawal accuses K-P of facilitating terrorists

Bilawal further stressed the importance of political reconciliation and consensus, citing Benazir’s efforts to strengthen democracy despite political differences and compromises.

He stated that Benazir had worked with parties that had previously opposed her and former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, including during the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD).

PPP chairman also cited the 18th Amendment as an example of consensus-building, saying it had been passed after political parties sat together to deliberate. Political negotiations required all sides to find common ground, he added.

Bilawal said the current political climate called for the implementation of the government’s manifesto and measures to provide relief to the public on key issues.

While responding to a question about the creation of new provinces, he reiterated that the PPP supported establishing provinces through constitutional and legal means. However, he said such a move could not proceed without President Asif Ali Zardari’s endorsement.

He questioned why new provinces were not being created in areas where consensus already existed, citing Gilgit-Baltistan as an example. He also said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was aware of the PPP’s position on the matter.

Commenting on Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s criticism of the government, Bilawal said the opposition leader had the right to question government policies but should also have unequivocally condemned terrorism.

He said members of Fazl’s own party had been killed in terrorist attacks and argued that the issue should not be exploited for political gain.

Bilawal added that whenever the PPP had imposed an emergency, it had acted in accordance with the Constitution and the law. He said the party’s decisions demonstrated its commitment to democratic principles rather than political self-interest.