- PPP chairman stresses terrorism in region could decline significantly ‘if spy agencies of both countries sit and work together’
- Describes Narendra Modi as essentially a ‘Temu copy’ of the Israeli Prime Minister
- Rejects India’s ‘new normal’ doctrine as ‘new abnormal’ that it trying to impose on the region
- Parliamentary delegation conveys Pakistan’s core message of ‘Peace with Responsibility’: FO
NEW YORK/ISLAMABAD: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has adopted Israeli-style policies in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and is undermining regional peace, emphasizing that “if the premier spy agencies” of both Pakistan and India “sit together” there could be a significant decline in terrorist activities in the region.
Bilawal in a strongly worded press conference at the United Nations, suggested that instead of accusations, counteraccusations and finger-pointing over terrorism, Pakistan and India ought to work together to combat this menace in an effective way.
“If ISI [Inter-Service Intelligence of Pakistan] and RAW [Research and Analysis Wing of India] “sit and work together” to fight these forces, we would see a significant decrease in terrorism both within India and Pakistan,” he stressed.
The press conference came upon completion of the delegation’s meetings at United Nations Headquarters.
At the UN, he held several meetings with ambassadors from the Security Council (UNSC) members, including the US, France, and the current president of Guyana.
“Narendra Modi is essentially a ‘Temu copy’ of the Israeli Prime Minister,” Bilawal drew parallels between India’s actions in Kashmir and Israel’s settler model in Palestine, saying “Narendra Modi was the Butcher of Gujarat, then of Kashmir, and now he seeks to trample the ancient Sindh civilization.”
He criticised New Delhi’s unilateral changes in Kashmir, saying they were inspired by Israel’s occupation tactics. “India is unfortunately learning from the worst examples,” he added.
Pakistan had sent two delegations to different world capitals as part of its diplomatic offensive against India to apprise the world of Pakistan’s stance vis-à-vis India’s aggression following the “false flag Pahalgam attack.”
Bilawal is leading a nine-member delegation to the US while another team, led by Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Tariq Fatemi is currently touring Moscow and held a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday.
He blamed India for using the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as a pretext for aggression. He said that India rejected Pakistan’s offer for investigation and instead launched strikes against Pakistan.
Bilawal condemned India’s illegal strikes inside Pakistan on May 7, calling them a violation of the UN Charter and international law. He said the attacks targeted civilian infrastructure, places of worship, dams, and water and energy facilities, causing civilian casualties, including women and children.
He also rejected India’s “new normal” doctrine as “new abnormal” that it was trying to impose on the region. “We can’t leave the fate of 1.5 or 1.7 billion people in the hands of non-state actors and terrorists, allowing them to decide on a whim that two nuclear-armed powers should go to war.”
He also reminded the international community of India’s past admission. “During the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, the Indian government acknowledged its involvement in terrorist activities in Pakistan.” Referring to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, Bilawal confirmed, “He has been in our custody since 2017.”
At the UN, the Pakistani delegation reached out to the representatives of the UNSC members, including some of the close allies of India, and briefed them on the alarming security developments in South Asia, following India’s recent military aggression and unilateral actions.
The meetings on Tuesday included the permanent representatives to the UN from the US, Guyana [the UNSC president for the month of June], France and officials from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
France is one of the closest allies of India and the meeting of the Pakistani delegation with the French Ambassador to the United Nations was significant keeping in view that the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) shot down French-made Rafale jets on the night of May 6 and 7.
An official handout said that Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont met with the Pakistani parliamentary delegation. Bilawal apprised the French envoy of the grave consequences arising from India’s baseless attribution of the Pahalgam attack to Pakistan without any credible investigation or evidence.
The delegation briefed the French ambassador regarding the alarming security developments in South Asia, following India’s recent military aggression and unilateral actions in violation of the international law that threatened the fragile strategic balance in the region.
The PPP chairman maintained that Pakistan had fulfilled its responsibilities by taking decisive action against all militant groups, but India had failed to respond meaningfully to Pakistan’s concerns.
“To this day, India has not taken any serious step to address our reservations regarding cross-border terrorism.”
He emphasized Pakistan’s willingness to engage in dialogue. “We are ready to discuss all issues. All our cards are on the table,” he said.
“It is India that continues to evade international obligations. Today, only one country is running from the UN Charter—and that’s India.”
The parliamentary delegation comprising, Hina Rabbani Khar, Sherry Rehman, Dr Musadik Malik, Khurram Dastgir Khan, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Tehmina Janjua, Bushra Anjum Butt and Syed Faisal Subzwari.
The Pakistani delegation was scheduled arrived in Washington later in the day, where they will engage with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, other senior officials, lawmakers, and think tanks till June 6. The team will also visit London and Brussels later.
Pakistan effectively presented its stance at UN, says Foreign Office
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office spokesperson, the high-level parliamentary delegation, led by Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, completed a two-day visit to the United Nations headquarters in New York.
During the visit, the delegation met the UN Secretary-General, the presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council, representatives of both permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council, ambassadors of the OIC group, media representatives, civil society members, think tanks, and the Pakistani community.
According to the FO statement, this visit was part of Pakistan’s international diplomatic campaign aimed at presenting perspective regarding escalating regional tensions and threats to international peace and security.
The FO spokesperson stated that the root causes of threats to global peace and security lie in India’s irresponsible behaviour, unprovoked aggression against Pakistan, provocative statements, and unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty – an agreement considered vital to the lives of over 240 million Pakistanis.
The delegation conveyed Pakistan’s core message of “Peace with Responsibility.”
The Foreign Office further said Pakistan rejected India’s terrorism allegations. The diplomatic delegation presented evidence of India-sponsored terrorism to the international community.
They also declared India’s unilateral stance on the Indus Waters Treaty as unacceptable, and Pakistan urged the global community to ensure adherence to international agreements.
The delegation reiterated that sustainable peace in South Asia depends on a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
The Pakistani mission emphasised that India’s so-called “new normal” was a threat to regional peace. The resolution of the Kashmir issue is the only guarantee of peace in South Asia. Pakistan is not negligent in its defence; it desires peace but will not compromise on sovereignty.
The parliamentary delegation also included Dr Musadik Malik, Senator Sherry Rehman, Hina Rabbani Khar, Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan, Senator Syed Faisal Ali Subzwari, Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, Jalil Abbas Jilani, and Tehmina Janjua.
