PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday praised a multi-party conference (MPC) held a day earlier in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to discuss the deteriorating law and order situation in Kurram while calling out the PTI-led provincial government for “practising their extremist politics at the expense of the people”.
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi along with representatives of different political parties had criticised the PTI for what they said was the party’s “rhetoric centred on violence and conflict”, as the party skipped the conference which was hosted by Kundi.
The moot was attended by representatives of major political parties including the PPP, JUI-F, ANP, PML-N, QWP, JI and others. A declaration issued after the conference, held at the Governor House in Peshawar, revealed that over 70 security personnel were martyred in 2024, with more than 200 lives lost in armed clashes in the Kurram district.
On Friday, the PPP Chairman said in a post on X that he welcomed Kundi’s initiative to “engage all political parties in an effort to create political consensus and address the difficulties faced by the people of Pakhtunkhwa.”
Dialogue between political forces is the most effective means to not only address political, economic and security challenges but also forge the political consensus and stability required to achieve results, Bilawal said.
“It is unfortunate that the government with executive authority & primary responsibility to address these issues have not even spent one day since they formed government doing what they are meant to. Sever the people of their province. They have been busy practising their extremist politics at the expense of the people of Pakhtunkhwa.
“Despite having been invited they refused to attend or contribute to this APC (all parties conference) as well,” he said, referring to the PTI being in power in KP.
“The people of Pakhtunkhwa deserve their problems to be addressed,” he said, adding that “with or without the help of the KP government, we will continue to fight for the real rights of the people of all provinces.”
On Wednesday, PTI snubbed the invite to Kundi’s moot and announced its decision not to attend.
It said the PPP was working with the federal government to get the PTI banned and even got a resolution about it passed by the Balochistan Assembly.
It insisted that, unlike the PPP, it had a mandate from residents to rule KP and was performing its duties well.
Addressing reporters in Swabi on Friday, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticised the KP government for not calling the multi-party conference.
“The governor had to call this meeting when it is not his responsibility,” Fazl said. “It is the responsibility of the executive, which is not fulfilling its role.”
The JUI-F chief added that the KP administration is not focused on governance or peace, but is focused on status. “I think they are only thinking about the status of being in power,” he said. “There is no government in this province, they have no writ.”
Asked about the possibility of Governor’s Rule in the province, Fazl replied, “I have no knowledge on whether or not Governor’s Rule will be imposed, nor will I comment on it.” He did mention that “constitutions have provisions for emergency powers,” however.
