Pakistan People\u2019s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that if India truly wants more action against terrorists, it must engage in dialogue with Pakistan to resolve bilateral issues. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Bilawal \u2014 who led Pakistan’s diplomatic mission to Western nations to counter New Delhi’s narrative post the May war \u2014 said India is attempting to establish a \u201cnew normal\u201d in South Asia \u2014 a stance he termed as neither in Pakistan’s nor India\u2019s interest. He stressed that the future of 1.7 billion people cannot be handed over to non-state actors, criticising India for not sharing evidence of terrorist attacks with its own people, Pakistan, or the international community. \u201cIndia has faced fewer terrorism incidents compared to Pakistan,\u201d he noted. Bilawal reaffirmed Pakistan\u2019s historical stance that Kashmir is an integral part of Pakistan, a position consistent since the time of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He further stated that Muslims in India face systemic discrimination. \u201cAny Muslim who speaks up for their rights is branded a terrorist,\u201d he said, adding that the same approach is used against Kashmiris in Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir. Bilawal emphasised that Pakistan has actively fought terrorism. \u201cIf India wants further action against terrorists, it should talk to Pakistan to find a solution,\u201d he reiterated. He also mentioned Pakistan\u2019s concerns about India’s involvement in acts of terrorism targeting Pakistan. Addressing a longstanding narrative, Bilawal clarified that while Pakistan historically supported certain groups during the 1980s concerning Afghanistan, it has never backed such groups in the context of Kashmir. \u201cPakistan supports the Kashmiris\u2019 right to self-determination under UN resolutions, which is not terrorism,\u201d he concluded. His comments came in the wake of recent tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours after India accused Pakistan of involvement in the killing of 26 civilians in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) earlier this year \u2014 an allegation Islamabad has strongly denied. The spike in violence marked one of the worst escalations in decades before a ceasefire was reached. In response to the Indian aggression, Pakistan’s armed forces launched a large-scale retaliatory military action, named “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos”, and targeted several Indian military targets across multiple regions. Pakistan downed its six fighter jets, including three Rafales, 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 US. The ceasefire was first announced by US President Donald Trump on social media after Washington held talks with both sides, but India has differed with Trump’s claims that it resulted from his intervention and threats to sever trade talks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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