PESHAWAR: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has linked econo­mic prosperity with impro­ved security as he called for consensus on national security and terrorism.

While addressing a press conference in Peshawar on Monday, the PPP leader also said Pakistan should take up its concerns over terrorism with Afghanistan as it was in the interest of the people of both countries.

“Mistakes have been made in the past; that cannot be denied. Our security situation is directly linked to the economic plight,” said Mr Bhutto-Zardari, who arrived in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s capital earlier in the day.

He said that every decision made by the government cannot be criticised “just for the sake of it”.

According to the PPP leader, political parties could have their differences, and there was “wide open space for them to do their politics”.

“But we should not do pol­itics on the issues of nat­ional security and terrorism and be on the same page.” He emphasised the need for everyone to “stand with the institutions” after whatever is decided in the upcoming multiparty conference proposed by the federal government.

The PPP Chairman reiterated that a delegation of his party will attend the meeting, aimed at building consensus on the counteroffensive, Operation Azm-i-Istehkam.

“PPP will then share its input on the appropriate forums,” he said, adding that his party’s aim will be to evolve the consensus as it hoped for on the budget and economic policy.

“The PPP stands with its people, police, army, and law enforcement agencies who have rendered sacrifices in all four provinces. We have to put our house in order when it comes to the economic and security situation, and the PPP will play a positive role in this process,” he said.

Benefits of engagement with Kabul

Responding to a question regarding the cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan, he said Kabul neither has a standing army nor counter-terrorism experience.

“There are capacity issues. However, our concerns are also serious, and it should be seen if they are addressed.”

He added that if the two neighbours manage to resolve their issues, it will mark an era of economic prosperity for them.

Answering another question, Mr Bhutto-Zardari claimed no party other than the PPP had demanded accountability over the spread of terrorism.

“When General Faiz [Hamid] and General [Qamar Javed] Bajwa were on their posts, it was PPP’s demand that they be brought to the National Assembly [for a briefing], and PPP was the party that raised questions in that meeting,” he said.

Now, the PPP is awaiting the multiparty conference where factual information will be presented, he said, adding the moot would be an appropriate forum to raise concerns.

Regarding the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the PPP leader said it was “the worst in the country” and that the provincial government had a primary role in improving it.

He continued that Pakistan currently faces many issues that the government could no longer deny.

“We were told by governments in the past that all is well. There were [decisions made] in the past … to provide relief to and invite hardened criminals, including those responsible for the Army Public School attack, which led to a mindset of denial,” he said while referring to the civil-military policy to resettle families of TTP militants in the ex-Fata area when PTI was in power.

The PPP has always engaged in positive and issue-based politics and will continue to do so in future.

“There is a dearth of positive politics in the country, and the politics of hatred and division has reached its peak,” he said, adding that politicians have to combat such “anti-democratic tendencies” democratically.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2024