KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has asked the government to give up its “terror appeasement” policy keeping in view the fast-emerging situation in neighbouring Afghanistan and take Parliament into confidence in this regard.
Addressing a news conference in Karachi on Tuesday, Bilawal Bhutto, flanked by senior party leader Sherry Rehman and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, said the Taliban should be warned that any ‘activity’ inside Pakistan should not be tolerated and will be responded with full force. “We will take prompt action on our soil against such activities,” he further said.
Bilawal maintained that there should be no compromise on terrorism in Pakistan. “The National Action Plan (NAP) should be further pursued with full might of the government and forces,” he added.
He also demanded to review the security of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), projects.
Bilawal Bhutto said that national action plan should be implemented immediately, CPEC projects are very important for the development of Pakistan. If the government does not pay attention the incidents of terrorism will increase, he warned. He said in the give scenario CPEC projects and workers should be given complete security.
Calling upon all the stakeholders of the Afghan conflict to work for peace in Afghanistan, Bilawal called for that kind of a setup in the country which represented people of all ethnic backgrounds.
He also stressed the need for protecting women and children in Taliban regime in Kabul. He praised Pakistan Army for fencing the country’s border with Afghanistan in order to keep ‘terrorists’ from entering and creating a mayhem in Pakistan.
PPP chairman said that terrorists in the past had attacked politicians as well as ordinary people. He was of the view that Pakistan should immediately clarify its stance on the emerging situation in Afghanistan. “People of Pakistan have rejected those resorting to terrorism in the name of religion,” he said, and added, “Pak Army took on these people and saved Pakistan.”
Bilawal again taunted Prime Minister Imran Khan for taking U-turns every now and then. “There is a dire need to enforce writ of the state in Pakistan since there are lots of risks to the country’s peace and stability,” he emphasised.
He rubbished reports of any backdoor contacts between the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He accused the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government of doing injustices to all the four federating units of the country.
