Bilawal calls for dialogue, says KP emergency can’t last long

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PPP chairman defends constitutional basis for KP emergency, urges PM and opposition to resume talks

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has called for renewed political dialogue over the emergency imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying the measure was adopted out of necessity but should not remain in place indefinitely.

Addressing the National Assembly, Bilawal defended the constitutional grounds for the decision, criticised the KP government’s alleged lack of cooperation against terrorism and urged the federal government and opposition to find common ground. He also rejected reports that he was angry with the KP governor.

Bilawal rejected reports of a rift with the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying the governor was currently carrying significant responsibilities.

“Why would I be angry with my own governor?” Bilawal asked a journalist, adding that he refuted the report.

He said the prevailing political and security circumstances required collective responsibility rather than personal disputes. He also stressed that the current situation could not be addressed by one political party or the federal government alone.

During his address to the National Assembly, Bilawal referred to Article 232 of the Constitution, which empowers the president to proclaim an emergency in specified circumstances.

He said the constitutional provision covers situations involving war, the threat of external aggression or internal unrest that a provincial government is unable to control. According to Bilawal, Article 232 clearly outlines the grounds on which emergency powers may be exercised.

He said the president could assess the situation and declare an emergency in accordance with the Constitution. The PPP chairman maintained that the decision concerning KP followed a constitutional process in response to the security crisis.

Bilawal also said the government had made every possible political effort to avoid taking such a major constitutional step. It had tried to engage the opposition, maintain contact with political leaders and address the federal government’s concerns about counterterrorism cooperation.

Bilawal said the PPP’s initial position was that the opposition should be engaged before the government resorted to what he described as a major constitutional measure, likening it to a “constitutional atom bomb.”

He said the party wanted the issues between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the federal government resolved through negotiations. The objective was to address the federation’s objections over counterterrorism cooperation and remove the legal, constitutional and political grounds being cited for an emergency.

Two PPP representatives were part of the committee negotiating with the opposition, Bilawal said. Although the prospects for success initially appeared uncertain in light of past experiences, he said he was informed late at night that the talks were moving towards a possible breakthrough.

According to Bilawal, there was a possibility that the PTI would accept proposals put forward by the opposition during the negotiations. He said he believed a major political breakthrough had been achieved before the process failed to prevent the emergency decision.

The PPP chairman stressed that the government had attempted to follow a political path first. He acknowledged that the opposition had the right to disagree with the government’s decision, oppose the measure and present its own position in Parliament.

Bilawal said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the province most severely affected by terrorism, although militant violence remained a nationwide problem. He criticised the KP chief minister for allegedly refusing to cooperate with the federal government on counterterrorism measures.

According to Bilawal, the chief minister had publicly stated that he would not confront terrorism, despite the federal government’s stated intention to combat the threat. He questioned whether the provincial leadership had provided any constitutional, political or legal justification that would have prompted the president to refuse the emergency measure.

He argued that the KP government’s conduct had left the federal authorities with little room to avoid taking action. He also described the provincial leadership’s approach as political suicide, saying the party’s own decisions had contributed to its present difficulties.

The PPP chairman said the provincial administration had effectively pledged not to fight terrorism, while the federal government was seeking cooperation to address the crisis. He added that the opposition also bore responsibility for the current situation.

Despite defending the emergency decision, Bilawal appealed directly to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leaders to restart negotiations.

He said the federal government should extend an offer of dialogue to the opposition and political parties to establish a middle ground on fundamental issues. He urged political leaders to come forward and play their part in addressing the security crisis.

Bilawal said political space did not shrink for just one party; restrictions and political confrontation could affect all parties. He warned that failure to build consensus on key national issues would harm the country.

He also argued that the federal government could not fight on every front alone. A united response was necessary to tackle terrorism, while political dialogue remained essential for resolving disagreements.

The PPP chairman said a committee on electoral reforms would be formed and questioned what benefit such a committee would provide if it included representatives of only two political parties. He said every possible effort should be made to ensure decisions were reached through broader political consensus.

Bilawal acknowledged that the country was facing difficult circumstances but said the emergency could not remain in force permanently.

Addressing lawmakers, he said that, given the prevailing political situation, he would state in the House that the emergency should be lifted. He called on political parties to work towards resolving the issues that had led to the measure.

He maintained that the emergency had been imposed out of necessity and urged political leaders to address the underlying concerns. The aim, he said, should be to eliminate the reasons cited by the federal government for resorting to emergency powers.

Bilawal also said the current political environment should be viewed in perspective, remarking that although the country was facing difficult times, it was fortunate not to be living under the era of military ruler General Zia-ul-Haq.

He added that he did not believe opposition leaders Barrister Gohar Ali Khan or Mahmood Khan Achakzai were colluding with terrorists. He said responsibility for the situation extended across the political spectrum.

Bilawal called for a united national effort to eliminate terrorism, saying the country could extinguish the threat if the nation stood together.

He urged all political parties to play their part in counterterrorism and said the sacrifices of security personnel and the challenges facing affected communities required a collective response.

He also questioned whether the KP government had taken adequate steps against militant violence and referred to statements attributed to the chief minister about the consequences of launching operations. Bilawal asked whether it had been suggested that any operation would have to take place over piles of dead bodies.

He said the situation demanded political maturity and cooperation rather than attempts to advance individual or party interests. According to Bilawal, all sides shared responsibility for addressing the crisis.

During his speech, Bilawal also accused India of sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan and supporting separatist groups and other organisations operating in Balochistan.

He said the threat continued in different forms, sometimes through the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and at other times through separatist groups. He alleged that a foreign state was interfering in Pakistan’s internal affairs and backing organisations involved in violence.

Bilawal linked his remarks to broader regional developments, saying Pakistan had also made efforts to establish peace between Iran and the United States. He suggested that some countries might not welcome Pakistan’s actions and efforts to pursue its interests.

The PPP chairman further referred to Pakistan’s military confrontation with India, saying India would not easily accept its defeat. He claimed Pakistan had inflicted a humiliating loss on India, referring specifically to the loss of six aircraft.

He also mentioned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s references to “Operation Sindoor”, arguing that the threat of terrorism and external interference continued despite the military confrontation.

These assertions were presented by Bilawal during his parliamentary address.

Bilawal reiterated that Pakistan belonged to all its citizens, including PTI supporters, and not to any single political party. He said the government and opposition needed to agree on fundamental national issues, particularly terrorism and political stability.

He urged the opposition to engage with the government and other political parties instead of allowing differences to deepen. He also said political leaders should learn from past mistakes, as dialogue remained the proper way to resolve disputes.

The PPP chairman concluded that while emergency measures had been adopted as a last resort, the long-term objective should be to restore normalcy through political engagement, constitutional processes and a united effort against terrorism.

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