Says the international community doesn’t have a plan B so plan A needs to achieve a peaceful resolution
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. SCREENGRAB
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Friday that the international community “does not have a Plan B”, warning of catastrophic human and economic consequences if talks between the United States and Iran fail to produce results.
Pakistan is set to host what could prove to be one of the most consequential diplomatic engagements in recent history, as senior leaders from the US and Iran arrive in Islamabad for high-stakes negotiations following a devastating six-week war that has left thousands dead and pushed the global economy to the brink of recession.
The American delegation will be led by Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by President Donald Trump’s key Middle East envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. On the Iranian side, Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is expected to head the delegation, alongside Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior officials.
Speaking in an interview with Sky News, Bilawal said “all eyes” were on the visiting delegations, adding that the conflict had affected people in Pakistan, London, New York, the Middle East and Asia.
Asked whether there was a “Plan B” if talks did not lead to a formal agreement during the ceasefire period, Bilawal said: “I think the international community doesn’t have a plan B. Our Plan A needs to achieve a peaceful resolution to this conflict and a more permanent peace.”
I think that the international community does not have a Plan B. Our Plan A needs to be achieving a peaceful resolution to this conflict and a more permanent peace. I think the way this conflict has played out has proven that war of this nature, war of this scale is not an option… pic.twitter.com/6fJQBC4wWT
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) April 10, 2026
“We can sort of measure the toll of this conflict not only in the loss of human lives but the economic cost that is borne by the people in my country and in yours, so we are all hopeful,” he said.
He said the current ceasefire space should be built upon to move towards “a more lasting, more permanent peace for the benefit of the international community”.
Read: JD Vance hopeful of ‘positive’ outcome as he departs for US-Iran talks in Islamabad
Responding to a question on Pakistan’s diplomatic role and associated challenges, Bilawal said Islamabad’s engagement was a significant achievement, adding that efforts had been underway over the past month to bring the US and Iran to a ceasefire and define the outlines for continued dialogue.
He acknowledged, however, that challenges remained, particularly the trust deficit between the two sides.
“But as with diplomatic engagements and negotiations, there will be confidence-building measures that both sides will take in order to increase the space for dialogue and diplomacy in the pursuit of peace,” he said.
The PPP chairman said the scale of the conflict had shown that “a war of this nature, a war of this scale, is not an option”.
“The catastrophic consequences as far as human life, as far as the economic consequences are there for all to be seen, and it’s up to us, it’s up to the disputing parties, it’s for all countries who would like to see this issue resolved peacefully, to push all sides to agree to that peace so that we don’t get drawn into a potentially broader conflict than what we have seen over the course of the last month,” he added.
Commenting on questions regarding speculation about a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for Pakistan’s leadership and criticism over focus on international image, Bilawal said: “The first I heard about the Nobel Peace Prize for Pakistan is from you, and this criticism about focusing on the image also.”
Also Read: From critic to negotiator: JD Vance to spearhead US efforts in Iran ceasefire talks
He said Pakistan, as a neighbour to Iran and Afghanistan, had already endured decades of conflict spillovers and continued to face tensions in the region.
“We are in perpetual conflict with India. We absolutely do not want the conflict in Iran to be exacerbated,” he said.
“The people of Pakistan can’t afford it. I would argue that people all across the world can’t afford it. That is Pakistan’s motivation, that all sides achieve peace,” he added.
Bilawal further said the situation was “particularly hairy” for Pakistan economically, noting global concerns over potential economic shocks.
“So, as far as the peace prize is concerned, I think Pakistan and everyone would settle just to achieve peace,” the former foreign minister concluded.
