ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has held the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa responsible for the circumstances surrounding the imposition of an emergency in the province, describing its actions as a “political suicide attack”.
Speaking during Wednesday’s National Assembly session, Bilawal defended the emergency proclamation and Governor’s Rule as constitutional measures, saying the decision had been taken out of necessity rather than with the intention of prolonging it indefinitely.
The session was convened to debate the federal government’s decision regarding the emergency in KP. Question Hour was suspended to facilitate the discussion, while Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry presented the relevant motion and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar initiated the debate.
Bilawal, a former foreign minister, said President Asif Ali Zardari had approved the emergency in accordance with constitutional provisions. He maintained that the government had made efforts to engage the opposition and pursue dialogue before taking the decision.
Emphasising the need for political engagement, the PPP chairman renewed his offer of negotiations with PTI, urging the government to extend an invitation to the opposition.
“I am still asking the government today to extend its hand towards the opposition for negotiations,” he said.
Bilawal called on PTI to cooperate in creating conditions that would allow the emergency to be lifted. He said he would personally approach Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to seek its withdrawal if the opposition helped establish a political environment in which the measure was no longer required.
However, he reiterated his party’s support for the emergency decision, arguing that it had been taken in response to the prevailing situation in the province.
Tarar says KP government’s counterterrorism approach raises security concerns
Addressing the House, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar criticised the KP government’s handling of terrorism, arguing that its approach posed a threat to national security.
Responding to criticism that the emergency was intended to remove an elected government, Tarar said the proposal had been considered after approximately two and a half hours of deliberations during a cabinet meeting.
The law minister also alleged that the ideology of a political party had contributed to the spread of terrorism.
Criticising KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Tarar accused him of disregarding the sacrifices of armed forces personnel and civilians who had lost their lives in the fight against terrorism.
PTI alleges assault on democracy
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, meanwhile, condemned the imposition of the emergency, accusing the government of undermining democratic principles.
“You have launched an assault on democracy,” Gohar said, alleging that terrorism was being used as a justification for imposing emergency measures and Governor’s Rule in the province.
He further claimed that the decision had disrupted the country’s functioning and questioned the government’s rationale for taking the constitutional step.
The latest developments follow President Asif Ali Zardari’s proclamation of an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The move was presented as a response to the province’s deteriorating security situation.
According to the President Secretariat’s Media Wing, the decision followed recommendations from the federal cabinet, formal advice from the prime minister and law-and-order reports submitted by relevant security institutions.
