Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari opposes banning of PTI, urges party to forgo violence

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday said that he was not in favour of banning the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) despite the party attacking state facilities, adding that he would be the "last person" to endorse such a move.

Speaking at a press conference, the foreign minister — flanked by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and provincial information minister Sharjeel Memon — said: “I am not in favour of banning anyone. We must adopt a completely constitutional and legal procedure to ban PTI.”

However, he added that declaring PTI a proscribed outfit was the last resort.

While responding to a question on whether he considered banning PTI, the foreign minister responded: “A decision cannot be taken on television based on the video evidence that has come out so far.”

Moreover, Bilawal called for PTI workers to end their violent protests, adding that the party had done “what it had to do”.

"PTI should not cause more harm,” he said. “They should declare an end to violent protests and face the cases against them.”

Bilawal also expressed a desire to have an outcome that would create political stability in the country.

‘Another Black Day’

Earlier during the conference the PPP leader said that May 9 — the day when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was arrested from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) — was "another Black Day" in the history the country.

"The history of Pakistan several days are marked as the 'Black Days' and now May 9 has been added to the list."

Violent protests erupted in Pakistan on Tuesday with dozens injured across several cities and demonstrators attacking military buildings after Khan was arrested.

Tensions remained high with paramilitary troops and police on the streets in major cities even today; meanwhile, mobile data services remained suspended and schools and offices were closed in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Islamabad police said earlier today that troops have reached the capital city.

Protesters have stormed military buildings, ransacked the residence of a top army general in Lahore, and set ablaze state buildings and assets in other places since Khan's arrest in Al-Qadir Trust case.

“We [PPP] never celebrate when a political leader is arrested because we believe that when political leaders are arrested it is the loss of the politics at large,” he said, reiterating that in such scenarios the PPP has never celebrated nor distributed sweets.

‘PPP against NAB’

He added that his party had always been "against" the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from the get-go; whereas PTI had always defended the anti-graft body and benefitted from it.

“Khan sb initiated a campaign to save NAB; when we demanded amendments he said that we are seeking NRO and didn’t agree on the proposed amendments,” he said, adding that now when the new laws were introduced it is the PTI chief who has become its beneficiary.

However, Bilawal said, accountability takes place all over the world.

“We will also take accountability of the NAB to see how successful the institution has been,” he said.

He accused Khan of misusing his position as the prime minister and said: “Imran Khan has always said that the very name of his party is based on justice and that everyone should be held accountable.”

Face the music

Drawing parallels between the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) — which has been outlawed as a militant outfit — and the PTI, Bilawal said that former had attacked Jinnah House in Balochistan, the latter had turned its guns towards Jinnah House in Lahore.

“I do not remember that any party has made such attacks after a two-week remand,” he said, adding “Our leaders were hanged and we did not attack the GHQ. We did not attack Corps Commander’s house”.

Harking back to the protests that erupted following the murder of Benazir Bhutto, the foreign minister said: “After the martyrdom of Bibi, the whole country erupted with anger. However, we gave a political response, and raised the slogan of Pakistan Khappe.”

“We banned violence and said that democracy is the best revenge,” he recalled.

Terming PTI workers and leaders, “political terrorists”, he said that the those who were involved in crimes would have to answer.

He added that PTI should shun violence and adopt a political route, stating that the Imran Khan-led party needed to decide whether they wanted to become a “political party or an anti-state party.”

Repeat offenders

Bilawal asserted that the PTI had decided that it would not give a political response to Khan’s arrest and instead resort to attacking the state with “stone, batons and guns”.

Furthermore, he said: “One attack on GHQ was done by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and another by PTI.”

The foreign minister also claimed that this is not the first time that PTI has violated the constitution, recalling that Khan had violated the constitution in April of last year — when the provincial assemblies of Punjab and KP were dissolved at his behest — and no action was taken against him.

He then brought up the agitation that gripped Lahore when the police went to arrest Khan at his residence.

“When the police arrived to execute the arrest warrant against Khan, a lot happened," he said, adding that Khan thought that the law is for everyone except the PTI.”

However, the PTI has crossed every “red line”, Bilawal said, adding that it was the responsibility of the state and institutions to enforce the law and the Constitution.

“The misunderstanding arose because they thought anyone could cross the red line,” Bilawal said.

‘Democracy’

During the presser, Bilawal criticised the protestors and said “Akbar S. Babar was a member of the PTI. It was he who brought up the charge sheet of foreign funding”.

“What was the fault of People's Bus Service? KMC's water tanker what damage did it to the captain?”

He advised all political parties, including PTI, to avoid “anti-state people”.

“The events of the past day have made our efforts to lower the political temperature difficult,” Bilawal said, adding that Khan was neither interested in defending democracy nor democracy itself.

“My message to PTI is that if democracy continues, you can survive,” he said, “All problems are solved by democracy.”

He further reiterated that all political stakeholders should work within the sphere of democracy.

On negotiations

The PPP leader also added that along with Quetta and Karachi, people of Lahore too had legitimate complaints that needed to be heard.

“A sense of deprivation is everywhere, the poor are also in Punjab,” he said.

He further said that previously he had been “quite hopeful” that the dialogue between the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and PTI would be successful.

“I was hopeful that we would find a political solution as we still want the elections to be held on time.”