Pakistan\u2019s former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has warned US lawmakers and diplomats that the risk of a full-scale war with India is now greater than ever, as according to him, recent actions by India had \u201cdangerously lowered the threshold\u201d for an armed conflict in the region.His remarks followed a sharp rise in tensions between the two countries after a deadly attack in Pahalgam, in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Speaking to the New York Post in an exclusive interview, the 36-year-old chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) expressed gratitude for Washington\u2019s role in securing a ceasefire. \u201cWe\u2019re incredibly grateful for the role that the US government \u2014 President Trump, Secretary [of State] Marco Rubio \u2014 created throughout this crisis in helping us all achieve this ceasefire,\u201d said Bilawal. \u201cBut our message has been that the ceasefire is a start. But, it is only a start, and what we seek is assistance in our pursuit of peace through dialogue and diplomacy.\u201d Bilawal went on to say that the region was not as safe as it used to be before because of India’s unilateral measures. \u201cWe\u2019re all a lot less safe as a result of this conflict than we were before,\u201d said the young PPP chief. \u201cThe threshold of full-out military conflict between Pakistan and India has been drastically lowered \u2014 the lowest it has ever been in our history, as a result of this conflict.\u201d On April 22, terrorists killed at least 26 civilians in the IIOJK’s Pahalgam. New Delhi accused Islamabad of orchestrating the attack, a claim denied by the Pakistani leaders. After the incident, India, acting unilaterally, launched an operation and killed several innocent civilians in unprovoked attacks on Pakistan. After three days of sustained unprovoked attacks from the Indian forces, Pakistan\u2019s armed forces retaliated with successful Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, which Islamabad said was carried out in self-defence. Pakistan downed six IAF fighter jets, including three Rafale, and dozens of drones. After at least 87 hours, the war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States. Since the Pahalgam incident, Islamabad has repeatedly urged India to share credible evidence with the Pakistani authorities and called for an impartial and independent probe by international organisations. Speaking in London on June 9, Bilawal said: \u201cIndia accused Pakistan of involvement in the Pahalgam attack without any evidence. We offered an independent international inquiry into the incident.\u201d The Pakistani delegation that visited Washington last week said that Pakistan was open to working with India on counterterrorism efforts. However, they firmly denied any involvement in the recent IIOJK attack. \u201cThe Prime Minister of Pakistan offered an impartial international inquiry because we were confident that Pakistan is not involved in this terrorist incident,\u201d Zardari said. \u201cThe international intelligence community endorses this view.\u201d \u201cAs things stand now, if there\u2019s a terrorist attack anywhere in India,\u201d he went on, \u201cit immediately means war, and the law of reciprocation means, therefore, if there\u2019s a terrorist attack in Pakistan, we are to also treat it as an act of war.\u201d The young politician also warned that India\u2019s threat to block Pakistan\u2019s water supply was a serious issue, calling it \u201can existential matter\u201d and saying it would be seen as \u201can act of war.\u201d \u201cIf we are to engage in a new dialogue with India, make new promises with one another that could potentially lead to new treaties, then it\u2019s very important that they abide by the old treaties like the Indus Water Treaty,\u201d he said. Following visits to Washington, New York and London, the top-level parliamentary delegation from Islamabad has reached Brussels. The nine-member delegation led by Bilawal will hold meetings with senior officials of the European Union and Belgium during its visit to Brussels. Tasked with highlighting New Delhi’s provocations and aggression against Islamabad, the delegation will inform the European authorities about India\u2019s anti-Pakistan intentions and aggressive actions. Along with the European authorities, the delegation is also scheduled to meet leading European think tanks and international media representatives in Brussels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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