Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said Pakistan is ready to build a “historic and phenomenal partnership” with India to jointly combat terrorism, urging New Delhi to abandon its confrontational posture and engage in meaningful dialogue for peace.
Speaking at a seminar in Islamabad titled “Pakistan: A Bulwark Against Terrorism”, Bilawal called on Indian leadership to move past zero-sum thinking and cooperate on counter-extremism, not as rivals, but as neighbours with a shared duty to protect the lives of over a billion people in South Asia.
“All it requires is for India’s leadership to step down from the high horse that is galloping its republic towards the abyss,” Bilawal said. “Pursue peace with Pakistan. Sit with us. Talk to us. Let us resolve Kashmir [dispute] in accordance with the aspirations of its people.”
He further called for an end to the “weaponisation of water”, referencing India’s recent move to suspend participation in the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) – an accord brokered by the World Bank in 1960 which governs the use of shared rivers.
“Let us end the weaponisation of water and build instead a peace as mighty as the Himalayas,” Bilawal urged. “Let us return to our shared traditions grounded not in hatred but in the ancient soil of the Indus Valley Civilization.”
His comments came in the wake of renewed tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours after India accused Pakistan of involvement in the killing of 26 civilians in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) earlier this year – an allegation Islamabad has strongly denied. The spike in violence marked one of the worst escalations in decades before a ceasefire was reached.
India’s April decision to suspend the IWT prompted a strong response from Pakistan, which welcomed a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) reaffirming its stance. Pakistan maintains that the treaty does not allow for unilateral withdrawal or suspension.
Highlighting Pakistan’s extensive experience in combating extremism, Bilawal also invited the international community to engage with the country’s counterterrorism infrastructure.
“Come train with us. Come learn from Pakistan. Learn from our armed forces, our special forces, our police force,” he said. “We have waged the most extensive counterterrorism and counter-violent extremism battle from generation to generation.”
He described Pakistan’s counterterrorism data and experiences as invaluable to global partners. “Study our counterterrorism authority dataset. Few databases are richer. Come walk a rebuilt Pakistan in the aftermath of terror. Few places tell a more vivid before and after.”
Reiterating his offer of cooperation, Bilawal offered a vision of reconciliation: “Let’s let partnership replace perception. It is not weakness to extend a hand. It is wisdom.”