PPP Chairman Calls for India-Pakistan Cooperation on Terrorism

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari stated that Pakistan stands prepared to forge a “historic and remarkable alliance” with India to jointly tackle terrorism. He urged New Delhi to move away from its confrontational stance and participate in meaningful discussions for peace.

During a seminar in Islamabad, titled “Pakistan: A Bulwark Against Terrorism,” Bhutto-Zardari encouraged Indian officials to transcend zero-sum mentality. He advocated collaboration on countering extremism, not as adversaries, but as neighboring nations with a mutual commitment to safeguarding the lives of over a billion individuals in South Asia.

“The Indian leadership simply needs to dismount from the high horse that is leading its republic towards the precipice,” Bilawal remarked. “Pursue peace alongside Pakistan. Engage with us. Let’s resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with the desires of its populace.”

He further appealed for a cessation to the “weaponization of water,” alluding to India’s recent decision to halt involvement in the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) — a pact facilitated by the World Bank in 1960, which regulates the utilization of shared rivers.

“Let’s bring an end to the weaponization of water and cultivate a peace as formidable as the Himalayas,” Bilawal asserted. “Let us go back to our shared customs rooted not in animosity but in the ancient lands of the Indus Valley Civilization.”

These remarks followed heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. India accused Pakistan of involvement in the deaths of 26 civilians in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) earlier this year – an allegation strongly refuted by Islamabad. This upsurge in violence represented one of the most severe escalations in recent decades, before a ceasefire was established last week.

India’s decision in April to suspend the IWT elicited a strong reaction from Pakistan, which welcomed a decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) affirming its position. Pakistan asserts that the treaty does not permit unilateral withdrawal or suspension.

Emphasizing Pakistan’s considerable background in combating extremism, Bilawal also welcomed international community involvement with the nation’s counterterrorism infrastructure.

“Come and train with us. Learn from Pakistan. Acquire knowledge from our armed forces, our special forces, our police force,” he stated. “We have been engaged in the most extensive battle against terrorism and violent extremism, generation after generation.”

He described Pakistan’s counterterrorism data and experiences as highly valuable to global partners. “Examine our counterterrorism authority dataset. Few databases are as comprehensive. Come and observe a rebuilt Pakistan following the era of terror. Few places depict a more striking transformation.”

Concluding his speech, Bilawal proposed a vision of reconciliation through collaboration: “Let partnership supplant perception. It is not a sign of weakness to extend a hand; it is a sign of wisdom.”