Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP),attributed the recent surge in terrorist attacks and crimes in the countryto the policies of former Prime Minister Imran Khan during his mediaaddress in Sukkur.
While visiting the home of the slain senior journalist Muhammad Mahar,Bilawal pledged to seek justice for the journalist and drew a connectionbetween the crime and the presence of terrorist groups within Pakistan.
He expressed, “The increase in crime in Sindh is a direct result of Khan’spolicies. We are witnessing the repercussions of Khan’s decisions.” Bilawalraised concerns about the availability of weapons left behind by US troopsin Afghanistan, suggesting that these arms had fallen into the hands ofterrorists, posing a threat not only to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) but to theentire nation.
Bilawal asserted, “Our courageous soldiers have been engaged in battles inthe Katcha area for years, but these weapons have now reached other regionsas well. Crime rates, including murder, theft, and kidnappings, areescalating across Pakistan.”
When asked about the PPP’s efforts to combat terrorism, Bilawal emphasizedthat while the PPP had made substantial progress during its 15-year rule inthe province, other political parties in Pakistan had adopted an “ostrichpolicy,” metaphorically referring to their tendency to ignore glaringissues.
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He added, “The PPP government has consistently fought against crime andterrorism. We effectively managed petty crimes in Sindh. However, the 2014National Action Plan and our anti-terrorism policy were never properlyimplemented.”
Bilawal identified two key reasons for the rise in crime: soaringinflation and the detrimental national policy implemented by Imran Khan’sgovernment. He criticized Khan for allowing not only Afghan refugees butalso individuals who had escaped from prisons, including former Al-Qaeda orformer TTP members, to settle in Pakistan.
He questioned, “Did Imran and other authorities involved in this plan notanticipate that allowing former terrorists into FATA would lead to theirinfiltration into Karachi and other parts of Pakistan? Did they not realizethat those we fought against in North Waziristan after the APS attack wouldreturn to target our own Army?” Bilawal concluded by expressing his hopethat the interim government would prioritize crime control in Pakistan anddeliver justice to those affected by recent terrorist attacks and crimes inthe country.
