A high-level Pakistani parliamentary delegation led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party and former foreign minister, wrapped up a two-day visit to the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The delegation conveyed Pakistan’s stance on regional tensions, urging respect for international law and peaceful relations with neighbours.
During the visit, the delegation met with the UN Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly, members of the Security Council, ambassadors of the OIC group, media representatives, civil society, and the Pakistani diaspora.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan seeks peaceful, cooperative relations based on equality and mutual respect but will not tolerate aggression or violations of international norms.
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The delegation highlighted India’s unlawful actions, including violations of the UN Charter and international humanitarian law, and condemned attacks on civilians in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). They rejected India’s claims about the April 22 terrorist attack, citing a lack of evidence.
Speaking at a press conference at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday, he blamed India for using the April 22 Pahalgam attack in IIOJK as a pretext for aggression. He emphasized that Pakistan has consistently condemned terrorism in all its forms and proposed a collaboration between ISI and RAW to combat terrorism.
“I am completely confident that if ISI [Inter-Service Intelligence of Pakistan] and RAW [Research and Analysis Wing of India] sat down and worked together to fight these forces, we would see a significant decrease in terrorism both within India and Pakistan,” he said.
He described the recent ceasefire as a “welcome first step,” but warned it was “merely a first step.” Bilawal also highlighted the human cost of terrorism in Pakistan, stating, “If you compare the number of victims to terrorism then far more Pakistanis are killed by terrorists than Indians.”
Concern was raised over India’s unilateral decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), vital for more than 240 million Pakistanis. The delegation warned that India’s “weaponisation of water” breaches treaty obligations and international law.
Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to fighting terrorism in all forms and condemned Indian-sponsored terrorism and transnational assassination campaigns. The delegation called for cooperation over politicisation to combat terrorism effectively.
The delegation stressed Pakistan’s restrained and lawful response to Indian provocations and warned against attempts to normalise arbitrary strikes in the nuclear-sensitive region, cautioning that such actions could have disastrous consequences.
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They called for a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in line with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
The delegation urged the international community to uphold treaty sanctity, restore the Indus Waters Treaty, and support comprehensive dialogue between India and Pakistan.
Other members of the delegation included Minister for Climate Change Dr. Musadik Masood Malik; Senator Sherry Rehman, chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change; former foreign ministers Hina Rabbani Khar and Khurram Dastgir Khan; Senator Syed Faisal Ali Subzwari; Senator Bushra Anjum Butt; and former foreign secretaries Jalil Abbas Jilani and Tehmina Janjua.
Pakistan sent two delegations to different world capitals as part of Islamabad’s diplomatic campaign to present its position on India’s aggression following the Pahalgam attack.
A nine-member delegation led by Bilawal is visiting the United States, while another team, headed by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, is currently in Moscow, where they met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday.
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At the United Nations, the Pakistani delegation engaged with representatives from UN Security Council member states, including some of India’s close allies, briefing them on the concerning security developments in South Asia after India’s recent military aggression and unilateral actions.
The parliamentary delegation led by Bilawal arrived in Washington on Wednesday, where they were warmly welcomed by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh.
