Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari of Pakistan Peoples Party today extended an olive branch, proposing an “historic and phenomenal partnership” between both countries to jointly combat terrorism. Speaking at an Islamabad seminar titled “Pakistan: A Bulwark Against Terrorism,” Bhutto-Zardari called on India to abandon adversarial posturing and embrace meaningful collaboration for the security of over one billion South Asians, both across Pakistan’s borders as well as in neighboring India. (Sources 1) (Sources 1)).
“To achieve peace with Pakistan, India’s leadership needs only to come down from their high horse… And pursue peace,” Bilawal asserted, before emphasizing how cooperation must transcend zero-sum thinking in order to address joint threats from extremist networks. And these ideas could change everything for India too!
Bilawal reiterated his earlier stance of emphasising intelligence coordination between India’s RAW and Pakistan’s ISI. He pointed to Pakistan’s effective counter-terror ties with U.S. and NATO allies and encouraged India to establish similar arrangements to combat transnational extremist plots (The Week, Deccan Herald)
Pakistani delegation in Brussels suggested earlier this month that Islamabad and New Delhi can form a powerful anti-terror partnership similar to their collaboration with Washington (TheNews.com.pk, Arabnews.pk and Geo TV all offer coverage).
Bilawal’s plea to ease regional tensions comes amid ongoing bilateral friction after the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack that claimed 26 lives, which India blamed on militants affiliated with Pakistan. India responded with airstrikes against militant targets linked to Pakistan. A US-brokered ceasefire agreement came into effect on May 10
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Recently, Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar made statements suggesting his nation was ready but not desperate for talks, reflecting heightened strategic tensions and showing their wariness towards them. Reuter’s reported this development.
Reception in New Delhi and Washington
New Delhi has yet to formally respond to Bilawal’s offer; Indian officials remain wary, citing unresolved trust deficits, cross-border infiltration concerns, and past ceasefire violations as reasons why their response might take longer than anticipated.
U.S. officials including CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla have repeatedly praised Pakistan as an outstanding partner in counter-terrorism, signaling their continued interest in Islamabad’s security cooperation (The News.com.pk and ArabNews.pk for example). Additionally, this has also been reported on economictimes.indiatimes.com for coverage.
Bilawal used these acknowledgments as part of his pitch, asserting that South Asia could reap similar advantages through cooperation. * [Arabnews.pk].
Bilawal’s initiative fits within the PPP’s diplomatic recalibration under his leadership, following an international campaign aimed at changing Pakistan’s perception post-conflict. As part of this new plan for reconciliation among political and military institutions across Pakistan.
Trust Building Remains an Issue
Building trust remains a central challenge to dialogue efforts. Issues over Kashmir, cross-border militant attacks and water sharing squabbles (such as Indus Waters Treaty dispute ) continue to weigh on discussions. Bilawal acknowledged these hurdles while calling for engagement on governance and resource sharing while combatting extremism simultaneously.
New Delhi must respond publicly for any significant shift, possibly setting in motion technical and intelligence-level cooperation prior to any political breakthrough. Meanwhile, global players such as the United States, EU, and SCO observers remain wary for signs of progress.