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ISLAMABAD:
Two multi-party delegations dispatched by Pakistan to key world capitals as part of its diplomatic offensive against India, began their high-level interactions on Monday, with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led delegation holding talks with China and Russia’s UN ambassadors in New York.
On the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, two separate delegations began their tour of New York, Washington, London, Brussels and Moscow in order to brief these countries about Pakistan’s stance in view of the recent military escalation with India.
Bilawal, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman, is currently in New York, leading a nine-member delegation, comprising parliamentarians and former diplomats. Another delegation, led by Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Tariq Fatemi, is visiting Moscow.
According to the Foreign Office, the delegations were scheduled to engage in a series of meetings with the leadership of international bodies, public office holders, senior officials, parliamentarians, think tanks, media and diaspora.
Bilawal started his two-day visit to New York with an interview with a foreign news channel. Later, he met with China’s Permanent Representative to UN Fu Cong and Russia’s Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenziaand.
According to Express News, Bilawal thanked China for supporting Pakistan during the conflict with India. He apprised the Chinese ambassador of Pakistan’s responsible behaviour after April 22 attack in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) resort of Pahalgam.
Bilawal said that India had rejected Pakistan’s offer for a transparent and impartial investigation into the attack. He stressed that the resolution of the Kashmir issue was indispensable for a lasting peace in South Asia.
The Pakistan delegation urged China to play its role in this regard. While expressing serious concerns over India’s targeting of Pakistani citizens during the four-day conflict, the delegation urged the international community to move beyond conflict management and towards dispute resolution.
During the meeting, there were unanimity between both sides in opposing unilateral actions and aggression. Both the sides emphasised the need for respecting the UN Charter, international laws and agreements. They also opposed India’s decision to weaponise water.
The delegation comprised Dr Musadik Malik; Sherry Rehman; Hina Rabbani Khar; Engr Khurram Dastgir Khan; Faisal Subzwari; Bushra Anjum Butt, Ambassador (retd) Jalil Abbas Jilani, and Ambassador (retd) Tehmina Janjua.
Later, the delegation briefed the Russia’s UN ambassador on the situation following the Pahalgam attack, rejecting India’s baseless accusations against Pakistan without any evidence, and highlighting its premature and unilateral actions, including the holding in abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty.
He noted that Pakistan’s measured and proportionate response – guided by restraint and international law – was aimed at preserving regional peace and avoiding a wider conflict. He underlined that Pakistan was the biggest victim of terrorism in which more than 80,000 civilians have lost their lives.
He also apprised the Russian diplomat of India’s sponsorship of terrorism inside Pakistan. He underscored that durable peace in the region hinged on the just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with international law.
On the occasion, Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik highlighted the humanitarian implications of holding the IWT in abeyance. Highlighting Pakistan’s mature and restrained approach, the delegation reiterated the country’s commitment to peace, dialogue, and regional stability.
In an interview earlier, Bilawal reiterated Pakistan’s desire for peace through “dignity, strength and diplomacy”, and termed India’s actions after the Pahalgam attack dangerous and a violation of the international law.
“No lasting solution is possible without resolving Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” he said, emphasising that the current ceasefire should lead to permanent peace, which would come through the resolution of the Kashmir dispute in line with the UN Security Council resolutions and aspirations of Kashmiri people.
India’s unilateral decision to hold Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in abeyance violated the international law and the treaty obligations. “By unilaterally suspending the IWT, India has set a dangerous precedent with implications for regional peace and security,” he warned.
He added that Pakistan wanted that the international community played its role in facilitating dialogue between Pakistan and India. “We are ready to talk to India on Jammu and Kashmir; IWT and terrorism,” Bilawal pointed out.
He also said Pakistan is a victim of terrorism; from political leadership to military to Pakistani citizens; we have been affected by terrorism. “While India committed naked and blatant act of aggression by violating international border, Pakistan acted in self-defence,” he said.
The delegation’s US engagements on Tuesday, included meetings with the US lawmakers, think tanks, and media representatives. A meeting of the Pakistani delegation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also on the cards.
The visits of the delegations aim at projecting Pakistan’s perspective on the recent Indian aggression. The Foreign Office said that they would engage in a series of meetings with the leadership of international bodies, public office holders, officials, parliamentarians, think tanks, media and diaspora.
“The delegations will highlight Pakistan’s responsible and restrained conduct – seeking peace with responsibility – in the face of India’s reckless and belligerent actions. They will also highlight that dialogue and diplomacy should take precedence over conflict and confrontation,” the Foreign Office said.
“The delegations will underscore the imperative for the international community to play its due role in promoting a lasting peace in South Asia. The need for immediate resumption of the normal functioning of the Indus Waters Treaty will also be a key theme of the delegations’ outreach.”
Meanwhile, responding to media queries concerning a flurry of antagonistic statements made by the Indian leaders as well as remarks made by the Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson, the Foreign Office spokesperson said that facts could not be obscured by hollow narratives.
The Indian leadership’s recent remarks, including those made in Bihar, reflected a deeply troubling mindset that prioritised hostility over peace, the spokesperson stated. “Any attempt to portray Pakistan as the source of regional instability is divorced from reality,” he added.
According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, the international community was well aware of India’s record of aggressive behaviour, including documented support for terrorist activities within Pakistan. “These facts cannot be obscured by hollow narratives or diversionary tactics.”
The spokesperson stated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remained the core issue and Pakistan would continue to stand firm in advocating for a just and lasting resolution to the dispute in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
“To sidestep this fundamental issue is to condemn the region to continued mistrust and potential confrontation,” he said. “The developments of recent weeks have once again underscored the utter futility of jingoism and coercion,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson emphasised that “India cannot and will not achieve its objectives” through threats, misrepresentation, or force, saying that Pakistan was equally resolved to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity against any aggression.
“Durable peace in South Asia demands maturity, restraint, and a willingness to address the root causes of conflictnot the pursuit of narrow political gains at the expense of regional harmony,” the Foreign Office spokesperson stated.
(WITH INPUTS FROM KHALID MAHMOOD)
