Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who also serves as the foreign minister, on Thursday blamed the resurgence of terrorism on ousted prime minister Imran Khan’s policy of “appeasement,” adding there could be no further talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) without Parliament’s approval.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi after a meeting of his party’s central executive committee (CEC), he claimed Khan as prime minister had ordered the release of several terrorists, “including those involved in the attack” on the Army Public School in Peshawar. “Imran Khan, as a front-man for terrorists while being the prime minister, took decisions against the country’s security,” he alleged, adding the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief had helped the terrorists flee the country. “Only last year, he was inviting [militants] living in Afghanistan to return and live like normal citizens of this country. That’s what we are reaping today,” he added.
Earlier, former senator Farhatullah Babar read out a resolution passed by the CEC on potential talks with the TTP. “The CEC resolves that there should be no talks with militants until they lay down arms and accept the Constitution of Pakistan,” he said. “It also reaffirms its commitment that nothing should be done by the government behind the back of Parliament,” he added. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah of the PMLN voiced similar sentiments during a media interaction earlier in the day.
Code of conduct
Bhutto-Zardari told journalists that the PPP was not in favor of any delay in general elections, adding it also did not desire snap polls prior to the end of the constitutional term of the incumbent assemblies. To a question on the PPP’s ties with the MQM-P, he said his party had shown its sincerity by accommodating the rival party on numerous fronts in Sindh. “We have accommodated MQM in Sindh where we don’t need it in terms of numbers in the provincial assembly,” he said. “We appointed an administrator on their recommendation; a governor was appointed with their consultation; their MPAs were given budgetary space. But it should not be expected that I would go for any illegal or undemocratic move for anyone’s interests,” he added.
Expressing concern over the rise in political narratives of “my way or the highway,” he said the CEC had decided to prepare a code of conduct for all political parties to strengthen democracy. He said the PPP would contact all the ruling and opposition parties and evolve consensus on this prior to the next elections.
Economy
Referring to concerns raised in the CEC over the state of the economy, the PPP chief said he must give “full credit” to ally Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) for “saving the country from default.” However, he said, he had decided to form a committee led by Commerce Minister Naveed Qamar to meet experts and government functionaries to address all the concerns raised. “It would also find answers to all those questions [about the economy] that I was asked in today’s meeting,” he added.
To a question on Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi refusing to secure a vote of confidence ordered by Governor Balighur Rehman, he said the PMLQ leader must survive a trust vote or step down as chief minister. Lamenting that the Punjab government had given a “free hand” to the real estate mafia, he alleged that former chief minister Usman Buzdar had been involved in corruption with Bushra Bibi’s friend Farah Khan, and now Elahi was playing the same role.
Bhutto-Zardari also claimed that Imran Khan was aware that the PTI could not form a government without the support of the establishment and was calling for their beneficence once more. “In this stage of life, he should become a democratic man,” he added.