Imran's discontent with army due to lack of support, not neutrality: Bilawal

Foreign Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan’s issue with the Pakistan Army is not its announcement of political neutrality, but rather their denial of supporting him any longer. “Mr Khan's problem with Pakistan's Army began in April of last year when they [army] declared that they would not be involved in politics and they would not take sides. Mr Khan's issue with the Army in Pakistan is not that they're not involved in politics; his problem with the Pakistani army is they're not getting involved to support him,” Bilawal said during an interview with Al Jazeera on Saturday. On the historic role of the Pakistan Army in the politics of the country, he said that it cannot be hidden. “More than half of our history has been covered by military rule. My party, the Pakistan Peoples Party, has challenged each and every single dictatorship in Pakistan's history,” he added. Bilawal said that Imran Khan has supported every dictatorship in Pakistan including the last dictatorship the country had under former president General (retd) Pervaiz Musharraf. “Mr Khan's political history is this that he has supported every dictator and he supported every autocrat in Pakistan's history,” he added. Read more: No negotiations until PTI apologises for torching Jinnah House: Bilawal The foreign minister said that Imran Khan’s rise to power in 2018 is well-documented. “It is an established fact that he was brought into power through a rigged election in collaboration with some former officers of the Pakistan Army.” To a question about the army’s popularity after May 9 events, Bilawal responded by saying that the majority of the people of the country want the army to remain apolitical and not intervene in politics. “As far as the Army's popularity as an institution is concerned, the PTI supporters may be upset with the Pakistan Army for not violating the Constitution and supporting Mr Khan.” He said that the majority of Pakistanis are deeply offended by the actions that took place on May 9 where Khan encouraged his supporters to attack Army installations. “The Corp Commander house in Lahore, GHQ in Rawalpindi and many military installations [were targeted]. Such an attack has never taken place by any political party in the history of Pakistan and now those who were involved in these attacks on our military installations must face the consequences of the law of the land,” he added. Bilawal said that his party does not believe change can come by attacking military institutions but rather by strengthening democracy. “The only way that change can come would be with democratic forces and civilian institutions such as parliament to take their place within Pakistani society and exert themselves,” he added. He said that when Khan was prime minister himself, he paid very little attention to parliament. “When he should have been leader of opposition, he left parliament. The fate of Pakistan can't be decided on the streets of Pakistan. It has to be decided by parliament and that is the only way that Pakistani democracy can be strengthened when civilians take their own space… it will ease the Army out of politics.” Read more: FIR lodged against PTI leaders for attacking Jinnah House He further said that the only person to be blamed for Khan's downfall is Khan himself, adding that history will prove that to be the case. Floods Talking about the devastating floods of last year, Bilawal said that the country experienced the worst climate catastrophe in its history. “One-third of our land mass was submerged, impacting one in seven Pakistanis, or 33 million people. The floods had a significant effect on our economy. In terms of reconstruction plans, our goal is not just to rebuild, but to build back better and in a more climate-resilient manner,” he added. To achieve this, Bilawal said that Pakistan co-hosted a climate-resilient Pakistan conference in Geneva with the UN Secretary-General. “The aim was to raise the necessary funds, setting a target of $8 billion, which was half of the required amount based on the damage needs assessment. We exceeded expectations, with pledges reaching between nine and ten billion dollars. Currently, we are working to materialise those pledges and also engaging with the IMF to finalise our IMF programme. Once IMF programme is in place, we anticipate receiving additional resources from the funds pledged by countries and multilateral institutions at our climate-resilient Pakistan conference.” ‘Afghan interim govt must live up to its commitments' Bilawal expressed his disappointment with the interim government of Afghanistan, saying that Pakistan and the international community had high expectations from the new regime. “While they have made some progress in certain areas, there is still a long way to go in many others. Pakistan's position on Afghanistan aligns with that of the international community. We urge the interim government in Afghanistan to fulfil their pledges to both the international community and their own people. This includes commitments related to women's rights, women's education, and ensuring that Afghan soil is not used for terrorist activities or as a safe haven for terrorists. We believe that engagement is the solution, and it is crucial for not only Pakistan but the entire international community to engage with Afghanistan.” He said that it was in the best interest of all parties involved that Afghanistan becomes a secure and prosperous country, fostering good relations with its neighbours. “To achieve this, the interim government must live up to its commitments to the international community,” he added. The foreign minister said that Pakistan was witnessing a quantitative increase in terrorist attacks a year since the fall of Kabul. “You are absolutely right to point out the security threat we face from terrorist organisations, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Following the fall of Kabul, we have witnessed a quantitative increase in terrorist attacks in Pakistan. We are actively engaging with Afghan authorities and strongly urging them to take decisive action against these groups,” he added. Bilawal said that meetings have taken place with the Iranian foreign minister in Pakistan, as well as trilateral meetings involving China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. “The key message from these engagements has been the need for specific action against terrorist groups,” he added. Relations with China Regarding a question about Pakistan’s relations with China, Bilawal said that “individuals with biased attitudes” consistently repeat baseless claims without any proof. “The truth is that we have actively engaged with China over the years and have established an all-weather strategic partnership,” he added. Through initiatives such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the One Belt One Road initiative, the foreign minister said that Pakistan has made significant developments in energy infrastructure, communication infrastructure, and port infrastructure. “Naturally, such extensive development comes with costs. However, we remain optimistic that we will fulfil all our commitments. Development is the right of all nations, not just a select few, and it is the responsibility of the Pakistani government to develop infrastructure and promote economic prosperity for its people. As a result of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, we anticipate an increase in economic activity not only in Pakistan but also in China. Our economies can complement each other,” he further stated.