Pakistan will succeed against terrorists despite the lack of resources: Bilawal
KARACHI, Dec 31, (SABAH): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan’s “biggest sin” is raising routed militants back to their feet, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Saturday as he berated the deposed prime minister for his lenient narrative against terrorists.
Without taking names, Bilawal Bhutto spoke about Ehsanullah Ehsan — former spokesperson of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — and stated that the culprits of the Army Public School (APS) attack fled abroad during Imran Khan’s tenure.
“Terrorists involved in the APS attack got released from the prison and are now giving lectures in Turkiye,” he said while addressing workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Karachi.
“Those who referred to us as an imported government, in fact, imported terrorism. Imran Khan released terrorists from jails,” the foreign minister said.
FM Bilawal questioned how national security can be compromised. “We fought terrorists in the past and are still ready to fight terrorism. We will defeat terrorists,” the minister said, underlining that Pakistan will succeed against terrorists despite the lack of resources.
Censuring the deposed prime minister for being an apologist of terrorism, the foreign minister said that Khan made a deal on the martyr’s blood.
“There will be no compromise on Pakistan’s security. We will defeat terrorists and bring peace,” FM Bilawal said.
The foreign minister said that Khan pushed Pakistan towards default. “Imran khan will be accounted for the biggest sin,” he said.
The minister, when speaking about the recent spate of terror attacks in the country, said that the PPP government in the past did not only fight against terrorism but also defeated it.
He reminded attendees of the event about the mission to take down terrorists in Pakistan of his mother and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto — whose death anniversary was commemorated a few days ago.
“PPP’s government formed after Benazir’s martyrdom. Our soldiers embraced martyrdom,” he said.
Bilawal Bhutto said that sending the selected packing was a victory of the die-hard (jiyalas) party workers. He said that despite facing difficulties, the PPP saved the country in the past and would continue to save it in the future.
While taking a dig at the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, Bilawal said that the politics of Imran Khan has damaged the country’s economy and democracy but the PPP doesn’t believe in politics of hatred.
“The truth will prevail whenever there is contest,” he said and added we toppled Imran Khan’s government through no-confidence motion and this was the victory of the masses.
He said the country is passing through difficult period but we will steer the country out of this difficult phase.
The PPP chairman went on to say that the jiyalas will defeat Kaptan whichever constituency he would contest elections. Bilawal Bhutto expressed optimism that a jiyala – a term politically associated with PPP stalwarts – will become mayor of Karachi in the next month’s local body elections due to the performance of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and hard work of party workers.
“That jiyala is even present in this gathering… we have delivered on our promises and never took a U-turn,” he said.
Setting aside the reports that second phase of local body elections in Sindh are likely to be postponed yet again, Bilawal said the LG polls will be held on their scheduled date (January 15) as people are fed up with repeated postponements. “Now their wait is over because municipal elections will be held in Karachi on January 15, 2023.”
Bilawal said he had asked Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to thwart all conspiracies and hold local body elections in Karachi and Hyderabad on time “because people are worried about their problems due to absence of local representatives”.
The PPP chief said the people of Karachi witnessed how quickly development work was carried out in the metropolis under his party’s administrator.
“The doors of the local body representatives were opened for the citizens. A world record has been set for the delay of the local body elections in Karachi,” he added.
Bilawal said PPP has fielded candidates belonging to all nationalities in all constituencies of the metropolis for the local government elections.
“The entire Karachi is waiting for the elections and the candidates are tired of campaigning. The people in Karachi and Hyderabad are in desperate need of local body system.”
He said that they have no fear of winning or losing, and will accept the results no matter what.
Bilawal also administered oath to the LG candidates while directing the Sindh chief minister that the doors of the CM House will remain opened for the representatives of the local bodies after the polls as well.
“Murad Ali Shah as a jiyala and as the chief minister will work together with the bureaucracy of the city to solve the problems of the citizens,” the PPP chief added.