Islamabad,May 11 : Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto has urged the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to end its protests that erupted following Imran Khan’s arrest on Tuesday.
While addressing a press conference in Karachi on Thursday, he advised the PTI “not to make matters worse” terming the protests as “completely unjustified”.
“It is violent and has created a scenario that has necessitated some serious conversations,” the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman said adding that “those involved [in violence] will be held accountable”.
Nonetheless, Bilawal urged the PTI to refrain from making “matters worse [and] call for an end to violent protests and declare that you will abide by the rule of law and Constitution.”
“Accept that you will engage with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as citizens, not terrorists,” he added.
Bilawal also stressed that he was “principally opposed to the banning of any political party”, but in the same breath said that “such decisions are made in view of the circumstances”.
“If such a decision is taken,” he continued, “it would be taken because there would be no other choice left.”
“Any organisation would have had to face the music after the terrorist activities carried out yesterday,” he furthered.
Bilawal maintained that if the PTI was interested in remaining a political party, it would have called for peaceful protests.
However, he said his party was committed to holding elections “on time”.
Bilawal also expressed his disappointment with the outcome of the dialogue between political parties.
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