Hours after the Indian government said it will send seven all-party delegations around the world to highlight its fight against cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan, Islamabad unveiled plans to send a team led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to key foreign capitals.
The seven Indian delegations comprising parliamentarians, political leaders and former diplomats, including Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, are set to travel to key capitals in North America, Europe and West Asia.
The first indication of Pakistan’s plans to mount a similar campaign came on Saturday evening from Bhutto-Zardari, who said in a social media post that he had been approached by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to lead the delegation.
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“I was contacted earlier today by Prime Minister @CMShehbaz, who requested that I lead a delegation to present Pakistan’s case for peace on the international stage. I am honoured to accept this responsibility and remain committed to serving Pakistan in these challenging times,” said Bhutto-Zardari, whose Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is a key ally of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
{{/usCountry}}“I was contacted earlier today by Prime Minister @CMShehbaz, who requested that I lead a delegation to present Pakistan’s case for peace on the international stage. I am honoured to accept this responsibility and remain committed to serving Pakistan in these challenging times,” said Bhutto-Zardari, whose Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is a key ally of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
{{/usCountry}}There was no official word on the development from the Pakistan government.
Reports in the Pakistani media said others expected to be included in the delegation are former deputy foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, former defence minister Khurram Dastgir Khan and former foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani. There were also reports that the Pakistan government planned to send former ambassador to the US Tariq Fatemi to Russia.
The media reports also said the delegation led by Bhutto-Zardari would visit Europe to brief key countries on Pakistan’s recent clashes with India.
Deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar, who is also the foreign minister, confirmed the plans to send the delegation to key countries. Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach will extend to the US, the UK, Belgium, France and Russia, and highlight Islamabad’s position on the recent hostilities, Dar told the media.
The move comes in the wake of Sharif’s offer to hold talks with India on a range of issues, including Kashmir, the Indus Waters Treaty and terrorism.
However, external affairs minister S Jaishankar has already made it clear that India is willing to hold talks with Pakistan only on the issue of terrorism and the Indus Waters Treaty will remain in abeyance until cross-border terrorism backed by Islamabad is “irrevocably stopped”.
The only issue related to Jammu and Kashmir that New Delhi is willing to discuss with Islamabad is the vacation of the parts of the region illegally occupied by Pakistan, Jaishankar said on Thursday.
On May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor and carried out a series of precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure at nine locations in territories controlled by Pakistan. This triggered four days of intense armed confrontation between the two sides, using drones, missiles and long-range weapons, till they reached an understanding on halting firing and military actions on May 10.