PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday urged the PML-N-led federal government to engage all political and social stakeholders rather than “fighting everyone”.
Responding to a query at a ceremony in Larkana, the PPP chairman highlighted that people around the world were bearing the economic burden of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
“This is a backbreaking burden. We have not seen this phenomenon in the past,” the former foreign minister said, adding that even if the war ends tomorrow, its economic consequences are unlikely to end soon.
Bilawal contended that regardless of whether a country was directly involved in the war or not, supporting its people had become the biggest test for many governments.
“I advise the federal government that this is the time to engage with the political, social and provincial stakeholders rather than fighting everyone,” he remarked.
The PPP chairman further stressed that the coalition government’s focus should be on the economic difficulties faced by the people, not on their “differences with each other”.
“If the federal government and the relevant stakeholders focus on the problems faced by the people, only then we can emerge successful in this test, no matter how long it goes on for,” he said, referring to the economic consequences of the Middle East conflicts.
However, Bilawal cautioned that if “we continue to fight among ourselves” and keep fighting with PTI and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman — alongside the fight against terrorists, India, Afghanistan and others — then they might end up remaining engaged in that.
“Our priority should be the problems faced by the people,” he stressed.
Bilawal’s remarks follow exchanges of harsh remarks in recent weeks between Fazl and federal ministers, after the JUI-F chief accused the Centre of depriving the provinces of their rights.
Fazl has been critical of the federal government over the imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He accused the Centre of reneging on its commitments amid his efforts to mediate between the federal and KP governments.
On Oct 16, without naming anyone, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had claimed that a “head of a party” was “extremely upset over being denied a role in the new setup in KP and not getting the governorship”.
The next day, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry also criticised Fazl, who later clarified his criticism was aimed at policies, not state institutions.
The row played out in the Parliament as well, where Fazl questioned Asif’s absence and Naqvi’s presence at a meeting of the Makkah pact countries and Iran in Tehran.
In response, the interior minister clarified his participation and went on to assail the JUI-F for “continuously crossing the line” and accused it of “extracting wealth from the state”.
Bilawal defends imposition of governor’s rule in KP
In his remarks, the PPP chairman rejected the accusations that counterterrorism was a pretence to dismiss the elected PTI government in KP by imposing the emergency and governor’s rule.
“This claim is not based on facts,” he asserted.
“The PPP maintains that the democratically elected governments are always in a better position to deal with all matters, including terrorism,” Bilawal said.
However, he noted, the recent surge in terrorist activities and the number of fatalities had never been witnessed since around 2007-2008.
“After the change of the government in Afghanistan, the terrorists’ threats to Pakistan have increased. This is a ground reality,” the ex-foreign minister said.
Bilawal contended that during PTI’s rule in KP, individuals imprisoned on charges of terrorism had been released.
He further said Sohail Afridi — the chief minister who has been rendered non-functional due to governor’s rule — had failed to combat terrorism and protect the people of his province, thereby leaving no constitutional or legal reasons for the president to reject the summary for emergency.
Thanking the federal government for engaging with the PTI on his party’s recommendation, the PPP chairman recalled the breakdown of the talks between the opposition and the government, attributing their failure to the KP CM.
“Even the opposition leaders who were negotiating with us know that they cannot blame anyone, including the prime minister, for this move,” Bilawal said.
“Even today, I invite the PTI to negotiate and request the government to engage with them. Do not close the door for talks,” he urged, stating that if a consensus is reached on countering terrorism, he would be the first person calling to end the governor’s rule.
The Centre imposed emergency and governor’s rule in KP on Oct 11, citing the PTI-led provincial government’s “deliberate disengagement” from the fight against terrorism. The decisions were later endorsed by the Parliament amid protests by the opposition.
Electoral reforms ‘fundamental issue’
On electoral reforms, the PPP chairman termed it a “fundamental issue” and called the proposed Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms (PCER) a primary platform to address the concerns.
Addressing political parties that have alleged rigging in various elections, including PTI, Bilawal maintained that the reforms committee could be the starting point to resolve such grievances.
Noting that opposition leaders in both the National Assembly and Senate had been empowered by PTI founder Imran Khan to make decisions regarding dialogue, Bilawal reiterated his call for them to exercise their authority by “unconditionally” naming their representatives for the PCER.
“If the opposition has some other perspective, the PPP is ready to engage with them or with the government, too,” he said, emphasising that all the political parties should become part of this committee for strengthening democracy in Pakistan.
“After all the efforts, if PTI does not take part in this committee, then the people of Pakistan should not pay heed to their cries against electoral rigging,” he remarked.
While reaffirming his party’s call for empowering the Parliament, the PPP chairman stressed that the opposition bore an equal responsibility in achieving this, and said it had an equal role in weakening the Parliament along with the government.
“If the opposition boycotts committee proceedings, then how can it criticise that the Parliament is frail?”
Bilawal added, “We have to begin from somewhere; that’s why I invite the opposition to participate in the electoral reforms committee.”
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