Govt taps Bilawal to engage PTI on security talks

Express Tribune

26-03-2025

A day after it was urged to reconvene the top-level security huddle, the federal government on Tuesday tasked Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari with engaging the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), accepting his offer to mediate between the ruling coalition and the opposition.
Speaking on a private TV channel, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's advisor and senior PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah said the government was open to reconvening the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) if Bilawal brought PTI to the table.
"Bilawal Bhutto is already part of the government. If he successfully mediates between PTI and the government and the negotiations yield positive results, it will be a significant success for us," the PM's advisor said.
Though Sanaullah referred to Bilawal as part of the government, it is pertinent to note that the PPP chairman has consistently maintained that while his party supports the PML-N-led government and sits on treasury benches, it is not part of the federal cabinet.
The government's move follows Bilawal's call for a united front against terrorism and his concerns over the absence of key political parties, particularly PTI, from the recently held high-level security meeting.
Addressing PPP workers at the Punjab Governor's House on Monday, he urged the prime minister to reconvene the PCNS session with full political representation, stressing that Pakistan's security challenges required collective responsibility.
While pushing for broader participation, Bilawal also slammed opposition parties for prioritising political disputes over national security.
Directly addressing Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan, he urged PTI to set aside internal grievances and focus on pressing national issues, including terrorism, economic instability and governance failures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
He stressed that national security should not be held hostage to PTI's singular demand for releasing its supremo Imran Khan. He warned that Pakistan's internal divisions were being exploited by external forces and stressed the need for national unity.
Positioning PPP as a bridge between the government and the opposition, Bilawal argued that his party's unique stance – neither fully in government nor opposition – allowed it to facilitate dialogue and work toward resolving key national challenges.
On March 18, the PCNS had approved a unanimous declaration, reaffirming Pakistan's unwavering commitment to eradicating terrorism in all its forms and vowed decisive action against any elements threatening national stability.
The country's top civil and military leadership had reaffirmed its commitment in the first security meeting in parliament during the incumbent PML-N-led coalition government, which was boycotted by the key opposition party, PTI, among others.
The committee had reiterated that no institution, individual or group acting in collusion with hostile forces will be allowed to undermine Pakistan's peace and stability. Expressing regret over the absence of some opposition members, an official statement had said, the committee reaffirmed that consultations on this matter will continue.
During the in-camera session, the military leadership had provided a detailed briefing on the prevailing security situation, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The meeting was informed about ongoing counterterrorism operations, recent threats and the state's comprehensive strategy to ensure internal security.
The meeting of the PCNS was called after security concerns escalated following a string of attacks, particularly in Balochistan, where militants recently hijacked a passenger train and carried out a suicide bombing on a security convoy.
Earlier, terrorists had attacked on Bannu Cantonment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where 16 terrorists were killed and five soldiers were martyred.
Also, Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani - the son of Maulana Samiul Haq and chief of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-S) - was among six people who perished in a recent suicide attack at the Darul Uloom Haqqani in Nowshera district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.