What happened

According to Dawn, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari stated that the federal government could lift the emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) if the opposition engages with the Centre to establish a unified counterterrorism policy. Bilawal delivered these remarks while speaking to the media at the Karsaz Monument in Karachi on the 19th anniversary of the Karsaz bombing.

Key facts

Dawn reported several key details from Bilawal's address regarding the political and security situation in the country:

  • The federal government imposed emergency and governor’s rule in KP a week prior, citing the provincial government's deliberate disengagement from counterterrorism efforts during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protests demanding the release of Imran Khan.
  • Bilawal defended the decision to back governor's rule, criticizing KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi as unwilling to defend his province against militants.
  • He attributed the current rise in attacks spanning from Khyber to Khuzdar to decisions made in 2021 under former Prime Minister Imran Khan, which allowed militants from Afghanistan to resettle in Swat, Malakand, and former tribal areas, alongside freeing jailed terrorists.
  • He clarified that while KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi was nominated by the PPP, he constitutionally serves as a representative of the federal government.
  • Bilawal called for a consensus on a new National Action Plan and invited the opposition to join a National Assembly electoral reforms committee.

Why it matters

According to Dawn, Bilawal stressed that overcoming Pakistan's historic economic crisis is directly linked to defeating terrorism. He defended political compromise as a necessary instrument for governance, pointing to past successes such as the end of General Pervez Musharraf's dictatorship, the 1973 Constitution, and the 18th Amendment. He argued that political unity and cooperation are essential to strengthening democracy and restoring peace across the country.

Details regarding his response on the creation of new provinces are not specified in the source; please check the official notice.

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Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 18, 2026 · Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash