Bilawal says Pakistanis pay price for ‘illegal war’ against Iran, warns conflict will engulf world

Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday said the ongoing conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran was imposing an economic burden on Pakistan, saying: “The burden of the war between Iran, the United States and Israel is borne by all Pakistanis.”

Speaking at a gathering commemorating the 47th death anniversary of former Prime Minister and PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Bilawal described the war against Iran as “illegal” and condemned the deaths of several people as well as the killing of schoolchildren in an attack on an educational institution.

He warned that “some forces believe in hatred and division,” adding that conflict had begun to engulf the world at large. “There is a fear that this war could spread to the entire world, as its effects are no longer limited to Iran,” he said.

Bilawal stressed that “war is not the solution to any problem” and expressed hope for an early end to hostilities. He added that countries targeting Iran, Palestine and Lebanon “cannot look down on Pakistan.”

Calling for economic relief, he urged the government to use the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) to support citizens during the crisis, adding: “If a mini-budget is needed, we will support it.”

He said both the federal and provincial governments were reallocating funds to provide relief, noting that the Sindh government was planning to launch financial assistance for small farmers through a “Kisan Card” scheme.

Bilawal said the country was facing “historic inflation and crisis” and added that provincial authorities would introduce measures to ease the burden on citizens, particularly farmers and motorcycle users. He urged small farmers and motorcycle owners to sign up for upcoming support programs, warning that the duration of the crisis remained uncertain.

He said relief would be provided to owners of registered motorcycles and urged citizens to ensure their vehicles were registered with their own names and national identity card numbers, adding that transfer fees had been eliminated.

Amid economic difficulties, he said the government would financially support public and private transport services to avoid fare increases, while coordinating with the federal government to provide relief to transporters affected by rising diesel prices.

Bilawal said all provinces would contribute resources to a federal fund aimed at supporting carriers and stabilizing rates, but acknowledged that such measures could be insufficient given the magnitude of the crisis.

He urged the federal government to expand the BISP and said his party would support any move to increase its budget.

Bilawal also thanked the Chief Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for their cooperation, highlighting the need for political consensus. “In such circumstances, national interest must take priority over politics,” he said.

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He added that leaders of all provinces, including Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh, were taking steps to provide relief. “If there is unity in Pakistan, no force in the world can defeat or divide us. Our generation will overcome this test; God willing, victory will be of the people and of peace,” he said.