ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has called on India to come to the negotiating table if it genuinely seeks further action against terrorism, as only through engagement can both the countries work toward lasting solutions.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, he asserted that Pakistan had taken an extensive action against the terrorist groups, and was committed to global counterterrorism efforts.
“If India wants more action against terrorists, it should come to the negotiating table. We too have a long list of grievances against India for its involvement in activities that have harmed Pakistan,” Bilawal said.
To a question, he said, “Hafiz Saeed is not a free man, as he is in the custody of the state of Pakistan. As far as Azhar Masood is concerned, we are unable to arrest or identify him. Given his role in the Afghan Jihad in the past, it is our belief that he is in Afghanistan. If and when the Indian government shares information with us that he is in Pakistan, we will be more than happy to arrest him. But the fact is that the Indian government is not referring to them, nor any of these individuals involved in the terrorist attack that justified this war,” the PPP chief continued.
He said confidence building measures (CBMs) was a part of the comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan where terrorism was one of the issues that were discussed.
Bilawal criticised India’s approach of trying to establish a “new normal” in South Asia through confrontation. “India’s strategy not only harms Pakistan but also its own long-term interests,” he cautioned.
He further cautioned that the future of 1.7 billion people in the region must not be handed over to the non-state actors and thrown at the mercy of reckless actions and inflammatory rhetoric.
“The threat of conflict between the two nuclear nations is more serious today than it has ever been,” he further warned.
“Following a terrorist attack, India failed to share any evidence with its own public, with Pakistan, or with the international community,” he said, noting that Pakistan itself had suffered far more from terrorism than India.
He emphasized that the present and future generations should not be made to suffer for the mistakes of the past.
“As far as the past is concerned, I don’t believe we should burden the children of India or the children of Pakistan with the actions of the past. I certainly believe we shouldn’t punish them for the past.”
Bilawal underscored Pakistan’s commitment to counterterrorism efforts, citing the robust measures taken under the guidelines of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
“The FATF process has endorsed Pakistan’s action against those terrorist who were of concern to India. In addition to that, no terrorist attack in India was conducted by these terrorist groups whether it was in 2019 or now. Both the incidents were indigenous attacks.”
Bilawal reiterated Pakistan’s historic stance on Kashmir, saying, “From Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah till today, our position has remained clear – Kashmir is an integral part of Pakistan.”
The PPP chairman also condemned India’s treatment of its Muslim population, alleging that Muslims were frequently labelled as terrorists simply for raising their voice for the basic rights.
“The same is true in the Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir, where anyone demanding self-determination is branded a terrorist,” he added. Bilawal noted that while Pakistan supported certain groups during the 1980s conflict in Afghanistan, it did not back any such groups with regard to Kashmir.
“Our support has always been for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination, as recognized by UN resolutions — and that is not terrorism,” he emphasized.
