Daily Times

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday praised a multi-party conference (MPC) held a day earlier in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to discuss the deteriorating law and order situation in Kurram while calling out the PTI-led provincial government for “practising their extremist politics at the expense of the people”.

The PPP Chairman said in a post on X that he welcomed Kundi’s initiative to “engage all political parties in an effort to create political consensus and address the difficulties faced by the people of Pakhtunkhwa.”

Dialogue between political forces is the most effective means to not only address political, economic and security challenges but also forge the political consensus and stability required to achieve results, Bilawal said.

“It is unfortunate that the government with executive authority & primary responsibility to address these issues have not even spent one day since they formed government doing what they are meant to. Sever the people of their province. They have been busy practising their extremist politics at the expense of the people of Pakhtunkhwa.

“Despite having been invited they refused to attend or contribute to this APC (all parties conference) as well,” he said, referring to the PTI being in power in KP.

“The people of Pakhtunkhwa deserve their problems to be addressed,” he said, adding that “with or without the help of the KP government, we will continue to fight for the real rights of the people of all provinces.”

Separately, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has raised alarm over the growing trend of extremism among the country’s youth, warning that certain elements within Pakistan are actively pushing young people towards religious, ethnic, and political extremism.

He made these remarks during the inauguration of the Synthetic Ground and Pink Football Tournament at Lyari International Football Stadium on Friday.

Speaking at the event, Bilawal expressed his pride in the newly built international-standard football ground in Lyari, highlighting the inclusion of women from across the province participating in the tournament. “It is an honour for us to witness women from Sindh playing football at this level,” he said.

While acknowledging the challenges faced by women, Bilawal noted that the women of Sindh, particularly in Lyari, are showing their capabilities by participating in football. “These women, today playing football in Lyari, will represent Pakistan at international levels tomorrow,” he said confidently.

Bilawal, stated that there are forces both within the country and in neighbouring nations that continue to oppose women’s progress.

“Even today, there are individuals with regressive mindsets who seek to hold women back. The best response to them is this women’s football team. We will demonstrate that the women of Sindh will play a pivotal role in Pakistan and on the global stage,” he asserted

Bilawal stressed that with 70% of the country’s population being youth, the development of young people is key to the country’s future but also expressed concern over the increasing push towards extremism among the country’s youth. “Everyone knows that the future of this country lies with the youth. However, there are people in this country with a mindset that seeks to push young people towards extremism, whether it be religious, ethnic, or political extremism. They want to destroy the future of our youth,” he said, adding, “I want to see my youth progressing. I want to see them playing, studying, and working.”