PESHAWAR: As he urged agreement on issues pertaining to terrorism and national security, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari connected economic prosperity with enhanced security.
The PPP leader stated that it was in the best interests of the citizens of both Pakistan and Afghanistan for Pakistan to discuss its concerns regarding terrorism during a press conference on Monday in Peshawar.
It’s undeniable that mistakes have been made in the past. Arriving earlier in the day in the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr. Bhutto-Zardari stated, “Our security situation is directly linked to the economic plight.”
He stated that it is not appropriate to criticize government decisions “just because they are made.”
Political parties may have their disputes and there was “wide open space for them to do their politics,” according to the PPP leader.
“However, we shouldn’t engage in politics regarding matters of national security and terrorism and remain in agreement.” He emphasized that regardless of the outcome of the next multiparty conference that the federal government has suggested, everyone must “stand with the institutions.”
The PPP Chairman reaffirmed that his party’s delegation will be present at the meeting, which is intended to foster agreement on Operation Azm-i-Istehkam, the counteroffensive.
He stated, “PPP will then share its input on the appropriate forums,” adding that the goal of his party is to get the budget and economic policy closer to the consensus it has been hoping for.
“The PPP is in solidarity with the people, law enforcement institutions, police, and soldiers that have given their lives in each of the four provinces. In terms of the economic and security landscape, we need to straighten things out, and the PPP will help with that,” he stated.
Advantages of cooperating with Kabul
In response to a query on cross-border terrorism coming from Afghanistan, he stated Kabul does not have a standing army or experience fighting terrorists.
“Capacity problems exist. But we have legitimate worries as well, so it will be interesting to see if they are taken care of.
He continued by saying that the two neighbors will enter a prosperous economic period if they are able to settle their differences.
In response to a different query, Mr. Bhutto-Zardari asserted that the PPP was the only party that has called for responsibility for the growth of terrorism.
“The PPP demanded that Generals Faiz Hamid and Qamar Javed Bajwa be brought to the National Assembly [for a briefing], and PPP was the party that raised questions in that meeting,” he stated.
He added that the moot would be a suitable place to voice concerns, and that the PPP is currently anticipating the multiparty conference when factual information will be provided.
The PPP leader described Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s law and order situation as “the worst in the country,” adding that the province administration was primarily responsible for making improvements.
He went on to say that Pakistan is currently dealing with a number of problems that the government is unable to ignore.
Governments in the past have assured us that everything is fine. “Decisions were made in the past to help and welcome hardened criminals, such as those behind the Army Public School attack, which resulted in a denial mindset,” he stated, alluding to the civil-military policy that resettled TTP militants’ families in the former Fata area during the PTI’s rule.
The PPP has consistently practiced constructive, issue-based politics and will do so in the future.
“The politics of hatred and division has reached its peak, and there is a dearth of positive politics in the country,” he stated, emphasizing that democratic politics must be used to counter such “anti-democratic tendencies.”
