Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has urged the government to include all political parties, including those that skipped the recent high-level security meeting, in efforts to tackle the rising threat of terrorism.
Speaking at a ceremony at Governor House Lahore on Monday, Bilawal called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to convene another meeting, even if after a month, to build a national consensus on counter-terrorism. His remarks come as Pakistan grapples with a surge in terrorist attacks targeting security forces and law enforcement agencies.
The in-camera national security meeting, attended by PM Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, DG ISI Lieutenant General Asim Malik, and chief ministers of all four provinces, aimed to address the escalating security crisis. However, the opposition alliance, Tehreek Tahaffuz-i-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP), boycotted the session, citing the absence of PTI founder Imran Khan, who remains imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.
The meeting was held in the wake of rising terrorist incidents, including a deadly attack on a passenger train in Balochistan’s Bolan district.
Bilawal stressed the urgent need to focus on law and order, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, emphasizing that national unity is crucial to addressing security challenges.