SUKKUR/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that ending terrorism from the country was the mission of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and that the party's struggle will continue until Pakistan's soil is cleansed of terrorists. Bilawal and the First Lady of Pakistan, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, visited the Karsaz memorial on the 19th anniversary of the Karsaz tragedy (October 18) in Karachi, laid floral wreaths, and offered prayers for the departed souls and the elevation of the martyrs' ranks.

Addressing the gathering and later answering questions during a media interaction, Bilawal said that whenever PPP governments imposed emergency rule in any province, they did so in accordance with the Constitution and the law. He stated that Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi clearly knows what the PPP's and President Asif Ali Zardari's policy on the provinces is, and that this cannot be done without the president's signature.

He maintained that the PPP's position is clear: the Constitution provides a procedure whereby, if a provincial assembly agrees, new provinces can be created. "Why are provinces not being created where consensus exists?

For example, in Gilgit-Baltistan, there is no confusion and no difference of opinion. Not only is there mutual consent, but there is a complete consensus."

Bilawal noted that the attack on Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto on October 18, 2007, was the largest terrorist attack in the country's history, affecting more people than any other. He added that after the first blast, party workers did not flee the scene but instead formed a human shield around Benazir Bhutto's vehicle to protect her, ultimately sacrificing their lives when the second blast struck.

The PPP chairman stated that after great sacrifices, Pakistan had defeated the terrorists and that "we accomplished what armies from across the world could not do in Afghanistan." He pointed out that following the withdrawal of foreign forces and the arrival of the new regime in Kabul, the government of the time invited Afghanistan-based terrorists to settle in Swat and the former tribal districts, while imprisoned terrorists were also released from jails.

"Pakistan is suffering the consequences of those wrong decisions today." Bilawal paid tribute to Pakistan's armed forces and police for standing firm against terrorism, noting that both security personnel and ordinary citizens were being targeted. He criticized the leadership of the province experiencing the most terrorist incidents, stating that its chief minister went before the public and pledged not to fight the terrorists.

"The KP chief minister was a coward. If the chief minister was not ready to defend his own land and confront these terrorists, then the PPP is ready to confront them, and that is why we supported the government in this decision."

Bilawal categorically stated that governor's rule is in force in KP, and that "we will confront these terrorists together with everyone and will not allow anyone to rebel against Pakistan." He recalled that the public trusted Benazir Bhutto to provide employment, resolve basic problems, and ease economic hardship.

Following her martyrdom, he said, an even greater responsibility has fallen on the PPP to focus on issues such as employment, economic hardship, and terrorism.