Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said the federal government was fully prepared to impose emergency or governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amid the province’s security situation, but the PPP advocated seeking a political solution first.
Addressing an event in Karachi, Bilawal said the federal government had been in contact with President Asif Ali Zardari and the PPP over the security situation, particularly in KP.
Referring to militant attacks allegedly originating from Afghanistan, Bilawal said the federal government appeared ready to immediately impose emergency or governor’s rule in the province.
He acknowledged that emergency and governor’s rule were constitutional provisions but said the PPP believed political parties should first attempt to resolve the situation through dialogue before taking such a step.
Bilawal said his party wanted the government to engage with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) over its planned October 4 long march to Islamabad before making any decision regarding emergency measures.
He urged political parties to hold talks with the PTI while also calling on the opposition party to reconsider its planned march. Bilawal said the PTI could consider its protest politically successful, noting that Islamabad had remained largely shut for several days even though the march had not reached the capital.
However, he said political activities should not overshadow the security situation in KP, where militant attacks continue to pose a challenge.
Bilawal warned that if the provincial government failed to adequately address terrorism and law-and-order issues, and if allegations of a lack of coordination with the federal government persisted, the Centre could be compelled to consider emergency or governor’s rule.
The PPP chairman also referred to security threats allegedly originating from Afghanistan and alleged Indian involvement, urging political stakeholders not to view terrorism through a political lens.
“We want to come together to fight terrorism and not view it as a political issue, but a national one,” he said, referring to a recent meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari.
Bilawal proposed a written agreement between the federal and KP governments outlining mechanisms for jointly addressing terrorism and improving coordination on security matters.
He stressed that any political disagreements between the two sides should be kept separate from matters involving national security and the country’s broader interests.
