Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Sunday that new military and civilian leadership has put a “full stop” on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s policy of “appeasing” terrorists.
Speaking during an interview with the US TV channel CNBC International, Bilawal said that former premier “had negotiated with the terrorists unconditionally”.
The foreign minister reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to counter-terrorism and stated: “We will fight terrorism on our soil. Unless the threats from Afghanistan are not eliminated, the security threat to Pakistan will persist.”
With reference to the history of military rule, Bilawal was of the view that “Pakistan’s history is not concealed from anyone. For more than half of its past, it has been under military rule.”
Currently, Pakistan is going through a transitioning phase, he remarked.
Imran Khan was removed through a vote of no-confidence, Bilawal said while underlining the ouster of the recent government, it was for the first time in history that parliament has removed a prime minister through a democratic way. And in this process, neither judiciary nor the military has played its role in the matter, he added.
The foreign minister said that former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa had admitted in the public — while in office — regarding the intervention of the military in politics throughout history.
“If the military says it wants to change its controversial conduct constitutionally, it should be welcomed”, Bilawal said.
The PPP chairman told CNBC that “our opposition thinks that the military should play its role in politics.
“They want the military to help them bring them back to power.”
“I would encourage Imran Khan to take the democratic course. If he brings a change in his political conduct then he will have a future in politics. Unfortunately, Imran Khan does not seem to alter his course,” the foreign minister stated.
While responding to a question regarding the statement about Pakistan’s bankruptcy made by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Bilawal said: “He was talking in a political context at a political gathering and he was referring to the harsh economic times rather than speaking technically. He was talking in the overall context of the country.”
On the recent floods in the country, Bilawal said that five million acres of standing crops were destroyed, which had caused a loss of a huge chunk of Pakistan’s GDP leaving the country in extreme difficulty.
“The economic climate of Pakistan is tough. And the cherry on top, we are facing a fresh wave of terrorism we have seen since the fall of Kabul,” the minister highlighted.
“We witnessed a steady uptick in recent terrorist activity such as recent attacks in Peshawar where we lost almost a hundred lives and just two days ago the commercial capital Karachi in a broad daylight. Karachi’s regional police station was attacked. The police have successfully thwarted the attack but the fact is these things are happening.”
In response to the question of 30% of Chinese debt, foreign minister Bilawal stated that Pakistan owes debts to a lot of countries and international financial institutions.
I have no doubt of Pakistan’s “capacity and ability” to live up to its economic commitments. “The thing I said, floods have thrown us off the track and we are still working out our plans for reconstruction and rehabilitation while the relief phase continues,” the minister told the US channel.
