ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan is at risk of arrest because of his ego.
Speaking during an interview, Bilawal said: “Unfortunately, Pakistan is facing a perfect storm. Not only do we have increased partisanship and political polarization, to the extent that political parties or Political stakeholders are not even in a position to sit in a room and discuss issues among themselves, we are also facing an economic crisis.
The foreign minister added that the courts asked Imran to appear and fight the cases against him, but “he [Imran] says I am Imran Khan, and I am very important, and I will not go to court”. . Bilawal called Khan’s decisions “a complete mockery of the judicial system in Pakistan, the rule of law, the constitution in Pakistan”.
“We are stuck in a situation where this political chaos is playing out on the streets and diverting attention from the real issues that are affecting everyday Pakistanis,” the foreign minister said.
When asked if the state of democracy in Pakistan is critical, the politician said, “Absolutely.” Pakistan has been under direct military dictatorship for most of our history.
Bilawal said the forces benefiting from “undemocratic governance in Pakistan” did not like it when political parties came together after the death of his mother and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. So they supported Mr. Khan and brought him to power. And it has now not only blown up in the faces of these individuals, but it has had dire consequences for our country,” he said.
He said that as the country faces a security threat and crisis after the fall of the Afghan government, he said it is due to the increased frequency of terrorist attacks and the worst climate disaster in history. It is also suffering from destruction. In response to a question, the minister said. On the ongoing unrest in Pakistan – due to the immediate arrest of Imran Khan – said that while the country is dealing with chaos and simultaneous crises, the PTI chief believes that the law of the land does not apply to him.
Responding to a question on how political instability affects Pakistan’s economy, the minister said: “The agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was made by the previous government, which had this agreement with the IMF. The contract was breached.
He put Pakistan in a very critical economic situation. […] Our negotiations are still ongoing and have not reached a conclusion with the IMF. I understand that when Pakistan is facing such a perfect storm, there are some problems of our own creation, but some, like the floods and others, which are our own, are really taken into account in the discussions with the IMF. Should, and I don’t. I don’t think it is at this point.”
He added that whether it is Pakistan’s agreements with the IMF or the country’s own internal economic policy, the poorest are disproportionately burdened.
“There’s a big burden on the bottom of the pyramid. But we need a fundamental overhaul of how we talk about our economy and what decisions we make locally to achieve that.” Bilawal said.
When the host asked the minister about the relationship between Pakistan and America, especially on terrorism, he said that what happened during the war against terrorism and the entire period after that, there is such a fog of war that It colors everyone’s decision. -Making, everyone’s idea”.
He insisted that Afghanistan is a reality and the world should be serious about this issue.
“I think that based on the facts on the ground, the position and approach of Pakistan and the US, we see eye to eye. And whatever has happened in the past, we should be able to have an honest discussion about it,” he said. The foreign minister maintained, adding that it is very important for the two countries to work together and strategize for the future.
“I am working on that with my counterpart, Secretary Blankenship,” he said. Bilawal Bhutto, talking about the return of Taliban to power, said that although Pakistan, being a neighbor of Afghanistan, does not recognize them diplomatically, but still it is forced to talk with reality on its border. He said that we are advocating not only for ourselves but also for the international community to connect with them.
Speaking about the Taliban’s ban on women’s education, the foreign minister said: “I believe we were off to a positive start initially, but women’s right to education and their right to access Given what has happened, it’s becoming incredibly difficult for me or others like me who want to talk to them, who want to find solutions to the problems facing the people of Afghanistan. are
He said that the decisions taken by Afghanistan’s interim government “are not helping us to help them”, adding that the government’s biggest concern is that whatever happens in Afghanistan, Pakistan It will be the first country to feel the consequences. Talking about the security situation, Bilawal Bhutto said that the more the economic situation worsens in Afghanistan, the more ammunition the terrorist groups have and the more people they can recruit for their cause. shall be.
Reiterating talks with the Taliban, the foreign minister requested the Taliban to “let the girls learn”.
Talking about the climate issue facing Pakistan, Bilawal said that the country is still grappling with its consequences, but the issue has moved national attention and political discourse.
Referring to the current political situation in the country, the foreign minister said that Pakistan is being diverted from the climate problem which has affected more than 33 million lives, displaced more than 8 million people and damaged the economy.
Bilawal urged the international community to come together to solve this problem because it is not a problem of only one country.
He said the world needs to work together to come up with the money to deal with the damage and loss caused by climate change.
“I believe that this is a huge problem that only the United States can handle on its own or only China can handle on its own. This is something that the world has to come together and decide, do we? Are we going to be distracted by war and politics as usual, or are we going to find a solution to this problem?” he asked.
Thanking the international community for standing with Pakistan in this difficult time – one at COP27 and the other during the Climate Resilient Pakistan Conference in Geneva, Bilawal added that due to the melting of glaciers Pakistan is flooded more than rivers. will have to face “We will not be able to provide drinking water to the people living in our country,” he said.
