PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that after coming into power after the general elections of 2018, the party will merge Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He also vowed to resist the revoking of the 18th Constitutional Amendment. Addressing a public meeting in Bannu town of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa here Saturday, the PPP chairman said that the bond of the party with the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA is 50 years old.
Other senior PPP leaders including former chairman Senate Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, president PPP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mohammad Hamayun Khan, general secretary Faisal Karim Kundi, Akhundzada Chitan and divisional president, Bannu, Sher Azam Wazir and Fakhare Azam Wazir were also present on the occasion.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari recalled that Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was the first prime minister, who addressed a public meeting in Mingora in 1972 and announced the abolition of the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) in Malakand Division. Similarly, he said that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto have also visited Waziristan. He said that the previous government of PPP was the first which introduced FATA reforms by giving the right of vote to tribesmen and extended Political Parties Act and allowed political parties to carrying activities in the region. He said that the PPP is the only party, which after coming into power will merge FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, he was critical of the opposition of Maulana Fazlur Rehman to the merger. He also asked the Maulana to tell that why has animosity with FATA and why he is opposing fundamental rights to tribesmen. The chairman PPP recalled that few days before her martyrdom, Benazir Bhutto Shaheed have told the people of KP, "Whenever she see her children, the children of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa come before her eyes".
He said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are rendering sacrifices against terrorism since last 40 years and the valley of the flowers and Gandhara civilization is in grip of water for the four decades. He said that the terrorisms had destroyed the peace of the country, but vowed not leave the coming generations on the mercy of the terrorists, which are targeting children, youth and senior citizens of the country.
Bilawal Bhutto said that though the TTP Chief Baitullah Mehsud has been killed in the drone attack, but they wanted the arrest of him and others for awarding punishment to them as per law of the country. "The terrorists will be defeated only with the establishment of the supremacy of law," he maintained. He expressed tributes to the sacrifices of police and other security forces in the war against terrorism.
He said that when the PPP government assumed reign of powers, Malakand division was nearly under the occupation of terrorists while District Swat was under their complete occupation. But, we decided to take on them and with the support of the nation conducted first successful operation against them and not only cleared the area of terrorists in a short period rather more than 3 million IDPs were also rehabilitated in their areas. On the other hand, he said that the present government also conducted operation against terrorists in Waziristan and rendered millions of tribesmen homeless, which still awaiting repatriation to their native areas.
The PPP chairman said that the country is facing the challenges of terrorism and extremism. He termed extremism a decease, which cause terrorism, saying without the abolition of the farmer the later cannot be eradicated. He stressed need for bringing amendments in the curriculum, promotion of tolerance.
He said that whenever PTI chief Imran Khan visits other provinces, he used to make tall claims about the governance and change in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that if there is any competition of telling lie, Imran Khan will be declared champions of liars. He said that the champion of only abusing and taking u-turns in politics. Criticizing the performance of PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Bilawal Bhutto said that during last five years the PTI government has not established any new hospital or university while the PPP government in Sindh has established five hospitals only in last eight months where people are provided free treatment. He said that the PTI government has also failed in generation of employment opportunities and its youth moving to other provinces. However, he said that Sindh has provided employment opportunity to 0.5 million people. He said that after coming into power the program will be extended to provinces to arrest unemployment, provide free education, health facilities and alleviate poverty in the country.
The PPP chairman said that the previous government had introduced Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), which was not assistance oriented rather a socio-economic development oriented that brought change in the lives of women. However, he lamented that the PML-N government had removed the picture of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto as they are coward and frightened of her.
He also accused the government of canceling of cards of poor women from KP to Sindh provinces, which is tantamount to the snatching of morsel from the mouth of the poor.
He questioned the KP government to tell what it had done for the people of the province, either corruption has been abolished, poverty is alleviated and police system has been reformed and justice has been ensured to everyone. "Those who had destroyed, how will they make new Pakistan," he questioned saying that instead of making new KP they had sold it to their cronies.
Bilawal Bhutto said that the PPP government granted provincial autonomy while the PTI chief imprisoned it at Bani Gala. He said that Imran Khan has played game with Pakhtuns, which will not be allowed anymore. He said that Pakhtuns have become awakened and will take avenge through their votes.