ISLAMABAD, OCT 14: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has blamed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for the circumstances that led to the imposition of an emergency in the province, describing its actions as a “political suicide attack”.
Addressing the National Assembly session on Wednesday, Bilawal said the emergency and governor’s rule were measures taken under the Constitution.
The parliamentary session was summoned to discuss the federal government’s decision to impose the emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The question hour session was suspended to allow debate on the KP issue. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry tabled a motion concerning the emergency proclamation, while Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar opened the discussion.
Speaking on the floor of the lower house of parliament, Bilawal — the former foreign minister — said President Asif Ali Zardari approved the emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in accordance with the Constitution.
The PPP chief said the government had made every effort to engage the opposition and held talks before approving the move.
“Emergency was imposed out of necessity and was not intended to continue indefinitely,” he said, while renewing his offer of talks to the opposition party, saying dialogue could create space for political engagement.
“I am still asking the government today to extend its hand towards the opposition for negotiations,” he added.
The PPP chairman urged the opposition to engage with the government to create circumstances in which an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would no longer be necessary.
Bilawal said that if the opposition helped bring about such a political situation, he would personally ask the prime minister to end the emergency. At the same time, he made it clear that his party supported the decision to impose an emergency in KP.
‘KP govt’s approach to terrorism threatened national security’
Speaking in the National Assembly, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s approach to combating terrorism posed a “threat to national security”.
Tarar said some people had argued that an emergency was imposed to oust an elected govt.
He said that the proposal to impose an emergency had been put forward after two and a half hours of discussion during a cabinet meeting.
Tarar also alleged that the ideology of a political party had contributed to the spread of terrorism.
Criticising the now-dysfunctional KP chief minister Sohail Afridi, the law minister said he had disregarded the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and civilians who had lost their lives.
‘Assault on democracy’
Addressing the house, Barrister Gohar has also accused the government of undermining democracy over the imposition of an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, alleging that terrorism was being used as a pretext.
“You have launched an assault on democracy,” he said, alleging that someone else was hiding behind the terrorists in the area where the emergency had been imposed.
He further accused the government of rendering the entire country dysfunctional and said it had found an excuse in terrorism to impose a governor’s rule and an emergency in KP.
Last week, President Asif Ali Zardari proclaimed the emergency and governor’s rule in KP on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, citing the province’s worsening security situation.
The decision followed recommendations from the federal cabinet, formal advice from the prime minister and law-and-order reports submitted by relevant security institutions, the President Secretariat’s Media Wing said in a press release on October 1.
