WASHINGTON – Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari strongly denounced India’s recent military actions as he urged global community to prioritize diplomacy in South Asia.
PPP supremo addressed an international press conference at the United Nations Headquarters on Tuesday, where he alleged that New Delhi carried out “illegal and unprovoked strikes” inside Pakistani territory on May 7, in violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.
Early May strikes targeted civilian infrastructure including religious sites, dams, and energy facilities, resulting in civilian casualties, including women and children, he said, saying Modi used Pahalgam incident as an excuse to justify cross-border aggression.
Pakistan strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms, but we will not allow such acts to be used as cover for unlawful military actions, he said, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered India Pakistan’s full cooperation in an impartial international investigation into the Pahalgam attack. However, the Indian government rejected the offer and instead chose to escalate tensions, he added.
Defending Pakistan’s military response, Bilawal said that the country acted only in self-defense. “Our armed forces responded with precision, downing six aircraft believed to have carried out the bombing. We did not initiate this conflict,” he added.
Bilawal credited international diplomacy, especially the intervention of US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for facilitating a ceasefire. He however mentioned that the risk of future conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors remains all time high.
World is now less safe because the threshold for nuclear conflict has come down. It is essential that global powers support continued dialogue to avoid another escalation, PPP leader said.
He further addressed Pakistan’s long-standing efforts against terrorism, highlighting country’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list during his tenure as foreign minister. “Pakistan has taken serious and internationally recognized steps to combat terrorism and terror financing,” he said.
He accused Indian authorities of politicising terrorism to justify discriminatory policies against Muslims both within its borders and in the region. Despite that, he expressed Pakistan’s willingness to cooperate with India in genuine counter-terrorism efforts.
