Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari Rejects Indian Allegations of Supporting Terrorism

Former foreign minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has refuted accusations from India that Pakistan is supporting terrorist organizations to carry out attacks beyond its borders.

During an interview with Indian journalist Karan Thapar, Bilawal stated, “Pakistan does not intentionally permit the groups you mentioned, or any group, to conduct terrorist attacks outside of Pakistan, or within Pakistan itself.”

Pakistan’s Sacrifices in the War on Terror

Emphasizing the substantial losses endured by Pakistan in its fight against terrorism, the PPP leader noted that the international community is well aware of Pakistan’s significant role on the front lines over many years.

“Pakistan is actively engaged in a major internal war against terrorism. We have tragically lost 92,000 lives. In the past year alone, we suffered over 1,200 civilian deaths in more than 200 separate terrorist incidents.”

“The frequency of terrorist attacks this year is alarming. If this rate continues, it could become the deadliest year in Pakistan’s history.”

Personal Experience with Terrorism

Reflecting on the assassination of his mother, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Bilawal shared, “I am also a victim of terrorism. I deeply empathize with the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. I understand the trauma their families are experiencing more profoundly than many others can imagine.”

He further detailed Pakistan’s determined efforts to eliminate terrorism, stating, “Pakistan underwent a process where we undertook military action against terrorist groups within Pakistan.”

He mentioned that during the prior tenure of President Zardari, Pakistan initiated an operation in South Waziristan after Benazir’s assassination, and the subsequent government launched another operation in North Waziristan.

“We implemented a National Action Plan concerning our actions against groups of concern to India. More recently, we successfully navigated a demanding FATF [Financial Action Task Force] process.”

He asserted that the global community recognizes and supports Pakistan’s measures against these terrorist organizations.

Bilawal emphasized the rigorous nature of the FATF process, which includes a thorough monitoring system, making concealment impossible.

Criticizing the Indian allegations, Bilawal noted that immediately following the Pahalgam attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly offered Islamabad’s willingness to participate in any impartial international inquiry into the incident, affirming, “Our hands are clean.”

“We were confident in our position. However, the Indian government rejected this offer and has not shared any information with Pakistan or the international community to this day.”

Conflict and Ceasefire

Pakistan and India were involved in a military clash in May, triggered by the Pahalgam attack in April in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Pakistan has denied any involvement in the attack.

Bilawal also headed a parliamentary delegation that visited various global capitals to counter Indian propaganda following the recent conflict between the two nations.

The two nuclear-armed countries engaged in a four-day conflict using missiles, drones, and artillery fire, marking their worst confrontation in decades, before agreeing to a ceasefire.

Following the Indian aggression, Pakistan’s armed forces initiated a large-scale retaliatory military operation, named “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos,” targeting multiple Indian military sites across different regions.

The ceasefire was initially announced by then US President Donald Trump on social media, stating it followed discussions between Washington and both sides. However, India disputed Trump’s claims that his intervention and threats to halt trade talks led to the ceasefire.

Conversely, Pakistan has recognized Trump’s efforts and formally nominated him for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, acknowledging his role in de-escalating tensions between Pakistan and India recently.