Islamabad, March 13, 2025: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has urged national unity to counter the resurging threat of terrorism, warning that global powers, militant groups, and Pakistan’s adversaries are exploiting internal discord to destabilize the country.
Speaking in the National Assembly during a debate on the Jaffar Express tragedy, Bilawal strongly condemned terrorism and reminded the House of the personal toll extremism has taken on his family and party.
“An attempt was made to kidnap me from the Prime Minister’s House. My mother, Benazir Bhutto, was martyred because of terrorism,” he said, underscoring that both Pakistan and the PPP have suffered immensely due to extremist violence.
Bilawal acknowledged that terrorism is not a new challenge for Pakistan but lamented that hard-earned victories against militancy have been lost.
“We previously fought together to rid the country of militancy, with ordinary citizens, the police, and the armed forces all making sacrifices,” he said. However, he warned that militant networks have regained strength, creating a more dangerous security environment than before.
Recalling the 2014 APS tragedy, he highlighted how all political parties had once set aside their differences to implement the National Action Plan (NAP), significantly weakening terrorist organizations. “But today, we lack the political consensus necessary to fight terrorism, and our enemies are taking full advantage of this,” he said.
Bilawal cautioned that terrorist groups are increasingly targeting vulnerable communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with each attack becoming more lethal.
“Terrorists have no ideology, no religion, no politics. Whether religious extremists or Baloch insurgents, their only goal is to spread fear, shed blood, and derail Pakistan’s progress,” he stated.
He also alleged that foreign elements are funding and supporting these groups to serve their own strategic interests. “They do not want an Islamic state or Baloch rights—they want to push Pakistan into chaos and block its path to development,” he said.
Bilawal stressed that Pakistan’s internal divisions are emboldening hostile forces and urged all political parties to put aside their differences and form a united front against terrorism.
“Whatever the reasons for our weaknesses, the fact remains that terrorists, world powers, and Pakistan’s enemies are exploiting our discord,” he warned. “If we fail to unite, we will only be serving the interests of those who seek to harm our country.”
