Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has urged opposition parties to end their boycott of parliamentary committees and return to Parliament to play a constructive role in legislation, electoral reforms and resolving national issues.
Speaking to the media at the National Assembly after meeting opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, former speaker Asad Qaiser, former senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Chairman Bilawal said the PPP has always respected the Parliament and considered it the most important forum for representing the people.
He said parliamentary committees could not function effectively unless all political parties participated in them, adding that both the government and opposition have a responsibility to sit together and address public concerns despite their differences. The boycott by some opposition parties, he said, affected key committees dealing with the budget, judiciary and legislation.
Chairman Bilawal said that the Parliament is a forum representing the 24 crore people of Pakistan. He urged the opposition parties to reconsider their decision and return to Parliament, saying political differences should not come at the expense of the institution’s dignity and constitutional role.
He also called for consensus-based electoral reforms, saying concerns over election transparency could not be resolved through boycotts or protests. The PPP, he said, had consistently supported transparent and impartial elections and would continue to contribute to electoral reforms. If there are genuine flaws in the electoral system, the solution is to address them through Parliament, strengthen the Election Commission and ensure respect for every citizen’s vote.
Chairman Bilawal said it was undesirable for political parties to celebrate an election victory but allege rigging when they lost. The PPP, he said, has always accepted both victory and defeat in the democratic process and wants elections in which the people’s will is the only deciding factor.
Expressing concern over rising inflation, Chairman Bilawal said that the increasing electricity, gas, petrol, diesel and essential commodity prices are placing a severe burden on ordinary households. He urged the government to take immediate and concrete measures to control inflation and protect the purchasing power of the people.
Regarding the creation of new provinces, Chairman Bilawal said the PPP’s position was based on constitutional principles, democracy and the aspirations of the people concerned. No new province, he said, could be created without clear public consensus in the relevant region.
He said the people of Gilgit-Baltistan had a legitimate and longstanding demand for full constitutional rights and representation, which the PPP supported. Regarding South Punjab, he said there was no logical reason to oppose a new province if its elected representatives had formally endorsed the proposal. Decisions on new provinces, he added, should be taken through Parliament, the relevant provincial assemblies and consultation with the people.
Regarding the recent Azad Kashmir elections, Chairman PPP said that the process had been made controversial for political interests. The PPP’s reserved seats had been systematically taken away and armed attacks had been carried out against its peaceful workers in Bhimber and Mirpur, resulting in the death of a PPP worker. A PPP MNA came under direct fire and the President of AJK was attacked as well.
He said that the federal government’s political and administrative machinery had remained active in Azad Kashmir throughout the six-phase election process, raising serious questions over its transparency. The PPP, he said, had raised its objections before the Election Commission, Parliament and other constitutional forums, but the PML-N had failed to address its concerns or engage in meaningful dialogue after the elections.
Chairman Bilawal said commitments and political understandings reached with the PML-N before the election of the Prime Minister have not been honoured. The PPP had cooperated in the wider national interest, he said, but there could be no genuine alliance with the PML-N unless the party’s concerns over the AJK elections are addressed and political commitments fulfilled.
He said the PPP would nevertheless continue to play a constructive role in Parliament whenever matters of national interest, the Kashmir cause or public rights are involved. He pointed out that the government needs PPP’s votes for several important laws, constitutional amendments and difficult bills despite the claims that PPP is obstructing its agenda.
Chairman Bilawal said legislation could not be forced through on the basis of a majority or through coercion, stressing that durable laws required dialogue, consensus and respect for constitutional limits.
Calling for a policy of Truth and Reconciliation in Kashmir, he said past incidents should be investigated impartially and transparently so that those responsible could be held accountable while innocent citizens were protected from unnecessary harassment or punishment. Justice, he said, must not only be done but must also be seen to be done.
He also expressed concern over the suspension of internet and mobile services in Azad Kashmir, saying the disruption was severely affecting students, freelancers, the IT sector and small businesses. The government should clarify its policy and ensure that the digital economy and online education were not unnecessarily disrupted.
Chairman Bilawal said making the AJK elections controversial was damaging both democratic traditions and the Kashmir cause. Pakistan, he said, could present the Kashmir case more effectively internationally only when democratic values and constitutional rights were fully upheld in Azad Kashmir.
Regarding the security situation, Chairman Bilawal said that a dangerous nexus between the BLA, Sindhi nationalist groups and the TTP had been formed. The elements involved have bases in Afghanistan and have carried out terrorist attacks in Karachi and other major cities. He called for a coordinated diplomatic and security strategy to dismantle the network and prevent external support for terrorism.
Recalling his tenure as the Foreign Minister, he said Pakistan had consistently presented itself internationally as a peace-loving country committed to regional stability and cooperation, while having made enormous sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.
Chairman Bilawal also said that forces including Israel and India were seeking to destabilise Pakistan through initiatives such as Operation Sindoor, and called for national unity, political stability and an effective foreign policy to counter such efforts.
Chairman PPP said the biggest threat to Parliament was the failure of its own members to recognise its constitutional role and sanctity. The country’s problems, he said, could only be resolved inside the Parliament through dialogue, legislation and accountability. A strong and functioning Parliament was essential to addressing Pakistan’s internal and external challenges, Chairman Bilawal stressed.