Serial failure of regime to protect people’s life, property: Bilawal

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while condemning the violence in Lahore and other parts of the country, has questioned that why did the ‘selected’ government not implement the National Action Plan (NAP) and why it was not bringing the issues before the parliament.

Bilawal also expressed grief over the loss of lives, including those of policemen, and said it was direct result of the PTI government’s inability to tackle the situation peacefully.

“The shedding of human blood and incitement to violence was never the answer to any situation because history tells us that violence only begets violence,” he said in a statement Monday.

He said the real fight is about fighting against the root of the pestering problem, not in just responding to the symptoms. “Why has the selected government not bothered to implement the National Action Plan, or even discuss arising challenges in Parliament,” he added. He pointed out that the tendency to foster and coddle pressure groups by fanning ethnic, religious and sectarian hatred had begun during Zia’s regime, to squeeze mainstream national political parties.

Bilawal said this dictatorial tool continues to be used even today as an operational lever to reduce the size of mainstream political parties, as more and more “Frankensteins” are being midwifed to curb the democratic aspirations of the people of Pakistan. “In the same context that is painfully clear that we have failed to understand that no one can consistently play with fire without getting burnt themselves,” he said.

The PPP chairman said his party had been on the frontlines of resisting any discourse or action that promoted violence or extremism since its inception. He said for this, the party and its leadership, including Shaheed Benazir Bhutto have paid a heavy price. “It is distressing therefore to witness how the “selected” were allowed to attack government properties, occupy government offices in Islamabad and hold the government hostage since 2013,” he further added.

Today, he said the same modus operandi is being replicated to further destroy the system. He said he is very clear that the state is responsible for protecting people, and a serial failure of the current selected regime to fulfill this responsibility has dragged the country into unprecedented chaos and anarchy, exposing both the population and state to risks that are incalculable. He said in any situation, the law must be the only factor to prevail and to that effect all issues should be addressed through constitutional mechanisms instead of resorting to more violence.

Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah, meanwhile, said that the government made a mistake by initiating talks with the defunct Tehrik-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

After appearing before an accountability court here in the Nooriabad power plant reference, he expressed his apprehensions that this time again, the government would strike a deal with the banned organisation in order to temporarily control the situation. However, he warned that it would be a mistake on the part of the federal and Punjab governments.

“Don’t strike a deal for temporary gains,” he urged the government. He said that he had contacted religious parties in Sindh.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, condemning the violence, said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) believes that Namoos-e-Risalat is the foundation of a Muslim’s ideology. “No Muslim can compromise on it,” he added.

Expressing concern and sadness over recent events, the PDM secretary general pointed out the government’s “failure” to establish peace in the country. He blamed the government for the loss of citizens’ and law enforcement officials’ lives.

Referring to the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) sit-in at Faizabad in 2017, the PML-N leader said that the Supreme Court (SC) had given a judgement on the matter because the same series of events had taken place back then. He said that the opposition alliance stresses that Pakistan will only become peaceful and stable when it is run in accordance with the Constitution and the public’s wishes.