Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday warned that global powers, terrorists, and the country’s adversaries were taking advantage of internal divisions, urging national unity to counter the resurging threat of terrorism.
Speaking in the National Assembly during a debate on the Jaffer Express tragedy, Bilawal strongly condemned all forms of terrorism, stating that both Pakistan and the PPP have suffered immensely due to extremist violence. “An attempt was made to kidnap me from the Prime Minister’s House. My mother, Benazir Bhutto, was martyred because of terrorism,” he reminded the House.
Bilawal stressed that terrorism was not a new challenge for Pakistan, adding that the nation had previously fought together to rid the country of militancy. “From ordinary citizens to the police and the armed forces, everyone made sacrifices in this war,” he said.
Recalling the APS tragedy, he highlighted how all political parties had set aside their differences to implement the National Action Plan (NAP), which had significantly weakened terrorist networks in the past. “But unfortunately, we have lost the gains we made against terrorism. The flames of militancy have reignited, and we are facing a more dangerous period than before,” he said.
Bilawal lamented that, unlike in the past, Pakistan had failed to develop a political consensus on tackling terrorism, which he said had emboldened hostile forces. “Whatever the reason for our weaknesses, the fact remains that terrorists, world powers, and the enemies of Pakistan are exploiting our discord,” he said.
The former foreign minister pointed out that terrorist groups were increasingly targeting vulnerable communities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with each attack being more lethal than the last.
“Terrorists have no ideology, no politics. Religious militants have no religion. Whether it is religious extremism or Baloch insurgents, their sole purpose is to spread fear, shed blood, and derail Pakistan’s progress,” Bilawal stated.
He also alleged that foreign elements were funding and supporting these groups to further their own strategic interests. “They do not want an Islamic state or Baloch rights. They only want to push Pakistan into chaos and block its path to development,” he said.
The PPP chairman called on all political parties to rise above their differences and form a united front against terrorism, warning that failure to do so would only serve the interests of Pakistan’s enemies.
