Pakistan’s former foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, has cautioned US lawmakers and diplomats that the likelihood of a full-scale war with India is at an unprecedented high. He emphasized that recent Indian actions have “dangerously lowered the threshold” for armed conflict in the region.
His warning follows a period of heightened tensions between Pakistan and India, ignited by an attack in Pahalgam, located in Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir (IIOJK).
In an exclusive interview with the New York Post, the 36-year-old chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) expressed appreciation for Washington’s role in facilitating a ceasefire. “We’re incredibly grateful for the role that the US government — President Trump, Secretary [of State] Marco Rubio — played throughout this crisis in helping us all achieve this ceasefire,” Bilawal stated. “But our message has been that the ceasefire is a start. But, it is only a start, and what we seek is assistance in our pursuit of peace through dialogue and diplomacy.”
Bilawal further asserted that the region’s security had diminished due to India’s unilateral measures. “We’re all a lot less safe as a result of this conflict than we were before,” the young PPP chief remarked. “The threshold of full-out military conflict between Pakistan and India has been drastically lowered — the lowest it has ever been in our history, as a result of this conflict.”
On April 22, at least 26 civilians were killed by terrorists in Pahalgam, IIOJK. New Delhi accused Islamabad of orchestrating the attack, a claim that Pakistani leaders have denied. Following the incident, India unilaterally launched an operation, resulting in the deaths of several innocent civilians in unprovoked attacks on Pakistan. After three days of sustained unprovoked attacks from Indian forces, Pakistan’s armed forces retaliated with the successful “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos,” which Islamabad maintained was carried out in self-defence. Pakistan successfully downed six Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets, including three Rafale, and dozens of drones. After approximately 87 hours, the conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations concluded on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
Since the Pahalgam incident, Islamabad has consistently urged India to provide credible evidence to Pakistani authorities and has called for an impartial and independent investigation by international organizations. Speaking in London on June 9, Bilawal reiterated: “India accused Pakistan of involvement in the Pahalgam attack without any evidence. We offered an independent international inquiry into the incident.”
The Pakistani delegation that visited Washington last week stated that Pakistan is open to collaborating with India on counterterrorism efforts. However, they firmly denied any involvement in the recent IIOJK attack. “The Prime Minister of Pakistan offered an impartial international inquiry because we were confident that Pakistan is not involved in this terrorist incident,” Zardari asserted. “The international intelligence community endorses this view.”
“As things stand now, if there’s a terrorist attack anywhere in India,” he continued, “it immediately means war, and the law of reciprocation means, therefore, if there’s a terrorist attack in Pakistan, we are to also treat it as an act of war.” The young politician also warned that India’s threat to block Pakistan’s water supply is a grave concern, labeling it “an existential matter” and stating it would be considered “an act of war.”
“If we are to engage in a new dialogue with India, make new promises with one another that could potentially lead to new treaties, then it’s very important that they abide by the old treaties like the Indus Water Treaty,” he emphasized. Following visits to Washington, New York, and London, the high-level parliamentary delegation from Islamabad has now arrived in Brussels.
The nine-member delegation, led by Bilawal, will hold meetings with senior officials of the European Union and Belgium during its visit to Brussels. Tasked with drawing attention to New Delhi’s provocations and aggression against Islamabad, the delegation will inform European authorities about India’s anti-Pakistan intentions and aggressive actions. In addition to meeting with European authorities, the delegation is also scheduled to engage with leading European think tanks and international media representatives in Brussels.
