Bilawal Bhutto PPP ready to fight terrorists if K-P government fails to act

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has criticised Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi over the province’s security situation, saying his party is ready to fight terrorism if the PTI-led provincial government is unwilling to act.

“If the chief minister of K-P is not ready to fight terrorists, then PPP is ready to fight them,” Bilawal told reporters on Sunday during a visit to the Karsaz Monument to mark the anniversary of the 2007 bombing. He said the PPP had supported the government’s decision to impose governors’ rule because of the security challenges facing the province.

Bilawal said Pakistan was once again confronting terrorism across the country, from Khyber to Khuzdar. He recalled that the PPP government, which took office in 2008, launched military operations in Swat and other parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as part of its commitment to 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.

The PPP chairman blamed past decisions to release militants who had been held in Pakistani prisons for contributing to the current security challenges. He also recalled Benazir’s final public address, in which she warned that certain forces did not want Swat to remain part of Pakistan.

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Bilawal criticised what he described as inadequate attention to terrorism-related incidents. Referring to the Karsaz bombing, he alleged that evidence had been washed away, undermining efforts to investigate the attack.

He said the PPP had once been at the forefront of the fight against terrorism, but the responsibility now rested with the entire nation. Political leaders, he added, should condemn terrorist groups clearly rather than use the issue for political point-scoring.

The PPP chairman also called for political reconciliation and consensus, citing Benazir’s efforts to strengthen democracy despite disagreements with rival parties. He referred to her engagement with political groups that had previously opposed her and her father, former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, including during the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy.

Bilawal cited the 18th Constitutional Amendment as another example of what political cooperation could achieve. He said political parties had reached agreement through negotiations and argued that the same approach was needed to address current challenges.

He added that the government should implement its manifesto and prioritise measures to provide relief to the public.

On the creation of new provinces, Bilawal reiterated that any changes must follow constitutional and legal procedures. He said the process could not move forward without the endorsement of President Asif Ali Zardari.

He questioned why new provinces had not been established in areas where political consensus existed, citing Gilgit-Baltistan as an example. He also said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was aware of the PPP’s position.

Responding to criticism from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Bilawal said opposition leaders had the right to question government policies but should also condemn terrorism unequivocally. He noted that members of Fazl’s party had also been killed in militant attacks and warned against exploiting the issue for political purposes.

Bilawal maintained that the PPP had acted within the Constitution and the law whenever it imposed an emergency. He said political decisions should be guided by democratic principles rather than partisan interests.