KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday stressed that Balochistan’s problems must be addressed through political engagement rather than military means.
Speaking to reporters in Karachi, he acknowledged the grievances of the province’s people, saying terrorism remained the country’s most serious challenge and required a political consensus to take decisions in the public interest.
Bilawal accused India of financing militant groups and said Pakistan was raising the issue at international forums. He cited past successes in counterterrorism efforts and expressed confidence that Pakistan could prevail again.
Turning to the impact of recent floods, Bilawal underlined the extensive damage in Punjab — particularly South Punjab — as well as in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He urged the federal government to channel assistance through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), criticising Islamabad for failing to make a timely international appeal for help and for hesitating to fully deploy BISP despite once claiming it as its own initiative.
He also urged the government to negotiate with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on wheat support prices, warning of possible food security challenges in the wake of the floods. He pledged that Sindh’s farmers would be supported through the Hari Card scheme to help reduce wheat imports.
Bilawal welcomed the prime minister’s decision to declare an agriculture emergency and waive electricity bills for flood victims but pressed for additional measures, including tax relief for farmers and greater federal leadership during natural disasters.
Commenting on foreign policy, he described the agreement with Saudi Arabia as a positive development that had won national appreciation, adding that the government would soon explain the arrangement in an in-camera briefing.
Bilawal also extended good wishes to his cousin, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr, on his formal entry into politics, clarifying that neither he nor his sisters had issued any negative remarks about him.
