Pak Delegation Arrives in UK Following Washington Peace Push

News Desk 

Islamabad: A high-level Pakistani diplomatic delegation has arrived in the United Kingdom after completing a series of productive meetings with US Congress members and senators in Washington and New York. 

The nine-member delegation, led by former foreign minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, held over 50 meetings in five days. Their goal was to present Pakistan’s position on regional peace, address ongoing disputes with India, and highlight New Delhi’s provocations and aggression toward Islamabad.

Earlier, Pakistani diplomatic delegation, led by former foreign minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, concluded a five-day diplomatic tour in the United States, engaging in over 50 meetings with members of the US Congress, senators, and officials at the United Nations. The delegation’s mission was clear: to present Pakistan’s perspective on the recent regional tensions, highlight New Delhi’s provocations, and advocate for peace and stability in South Asia.

The nine-member delegation, which included prominent figures such as Hina Rabbani Khar, Senator Sherry Rehman, Dr. Musadik Malik, Khurram Dastgir Khan, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Tehmina Janjua, Bushra Anjum Butt, and Syed Faisal Subzwari, arrived in London shortly after their Washington meetings. Their visit came amid heightened tensions following the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam area, where gunmen killed 26 civilians, an event New Delhi blamed on Pakistan — a claim Islamabad has vehemently denied.

In candid interviews with Geo News, members of the delegation underscored their aim to reshape the narrative around Kashmir and regional disputes. Senator Sherry Rehman emphasized that their engagements were constructive and that US lawmakers demonstrated an understanding of Pakistan’s position, especially regarding the “weaponisation of water” — a term she used to describe India’s tactics affecting shared water resources.

“India’s identity is increasingly that of a belligerent state,” Rehman said, referring to the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which she described as the “largest open-air prison” in the world. She also rejected any suggestion that Pakistan’s delegation was “chasing” the Indian delegation, noting, “Our story is our own story.” She further warned that Pakistan would respond decisively if India were to attack again, while affirming that “our goal is to promote peace and negotiations.”

Syed Faisal Subzwari highlighted the delegation’s broader peace message at the United Nations, stating, “Even though we showed military superiority, we have come to invite peace.” He expressed hopes that global powers would urge India to recognise the dangers of ongoing hostility between two nuclear-armed neighbors. Subzwari criticized India’s demand for immunity from accountability, especially after its post-Pahalgam retaliatory strikes on Pakistani civilian infrastructure without presenting concrete evidence.

“Our desire is for the current ceasefire to evolve into permanent peace,” he said, describing Pakistan’s stance as “peace-based” and “largely well-received” by US policymakers.

Khurram Dastgir Khan focused on the critical issue of water security, calling it a matter of “life and death” for Pakistan. He explained how the delegation worked to correct misconceptions in Washington — particularly the belief that President Donald Trump-brokered ceasefire meant the crisis required no further engagement.

“Our mission was to make them understand that intervention is necessary as India neither wants a neutral inquiry nor talks,” Dastgir told Geo News.

Jalil Abbas Jilani shared details of high-level discussions with the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary-General, and the president of the UN General Assembly. He reiterated Pakistan’s position that “India committed aggression, and Pakistan is a peace-loving country” that has long sought peaceful resolutions.

Jilani credited Pakistan’s military response with delivering a blow to India’s global image. “Pakistan shot down six Indian planes, jammed their system, and hit military installations,” he said. He noted the Kashmir conflict had now reached a global audience as a key international issue.

Senator Bushra Anjum Butt added that discussions on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and Kashmir with UN members underscored the critical nature of these issues. “If the Indus Waters Treaty is disregarded today, no future agreement will hold any value,” she warned.

Butt also cautioned that if Kashmir and water disputes remained unresolved, regional tensions could escalate again within six months. She appealed to US President Trump to actively engage to prevent another conflict, noting Pakistan had received a “better response” in the US compared to India’s efforts, which she described as defamation campaigns.

Reflecting on the delegation’s US visit, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari condemned India’s recent aggression as an exposure of its “façade as a so-called net security provider.” Speaking at a luncheon hosted by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed, Bilawal declared India a source of insecurity rather than stability in South Asia.

“India’s actions dangerously lowered the threshold for armed confrontation in the region,” Bilawal said. “They started a war based on a lie and couldn’t even win it.”

He also criticized Western perceptions of India, particularly in the US, where American taxpayer dollars support India’s military under the illusion that it promotes regional stability.

“The American taxpayers’ dollars are subsidizing India’s military-industrial complex under the illusion that it provides regional stability. But these five days of conflict proved otherwise,” he remarked.

Bilawal concluded that only peaceful and stable relations between India and Pakistan can ensure South Asia’s security, emphasizing that Pakistan remains committed to dialogue and diplomacy.

This diplomatic delegation’s intensive tour underscores Pakistan’s determined effort to present its narrative on the Kashmir conflict and to seek international support for peace. 

The challenge remains significant: to convince global powers that regional stability hinges on addressing the root causes of tension and ensuring respect for international agreements like the Indus Waters Treaty, while holding all parties accountable.

Credit: Original reporting by Geo News