Bilawal says Pakistanis paying price of ‘illegal war’ on Iran, warns conflict will engulf world

Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Saturday that the ongoing conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran was placing an economic burden on Pakistan, saying, “The burden of the war between Iran, the United States and Israel is being borne by every Pakistani.”

Speaking at a gathering marking 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 individuals, as well as the killing of schoolgirls in an attack on an educational institution.

He warned that “some forces believe in hatred and division,” adding that the conflict had begun to engulf the wider world. “There are fears that this war could spread globally, 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 cast an evil eye on Pakistan.”

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

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

Bilawal said the country was facing “historic inflation and crisis,” adding 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 register for upcoming support programmes, warning that the duration of the crisis remained uncertain.

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

Amid economic difficulties, he said the government would financially support public and private transport services to prevent 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 transporters and stabilising fares, but acknowledged that such measures might be insufficient given the scale of the crisis.

He urged the federal government to expand the BISP, saying his party would back 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, stressing 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 across 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, the victory will be of the people and of peace,” he said.