Head of high-level Pakistani Parliamentary delegation and Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has urged US President Donald Trump to play a proactive role in bringing India to the negotiating table for comprehensive talks with Pakistan.
In an interview with AFP, Bilawal said Pakistan is willing to discuss terrorism, but emphasised that Kashmir issue must be central to any dialogue between the two countries.
He warned that India is setting a dangerous precedent in South Asia by justifying war in response to terrorist incidents.
He said the fate of the 1.7 billion people and two great nations cannot be left to faceless, non-state actors, nor dictated by India’s new normal.
Earlier, the Pakistani delegation met a group of American lawmakers on Thursday, telling them that India is consistently resisting dialogue to resolve bilateral issues.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif set up the delegation last month, tasking it to present Pakistan’s point of view regarding the country’s conflict with India last month. India and Pakistan last month engaged in four days of fighting, striking each other with missiles, drones, artillery and fighter jets before Washington brokered a ceasefire on May 10.
Bhutto Zardari’s delegation has held a series of meetings with top international diplomats since arriving in New York on Monday, urging the global community to help India and Pakistan enter a comprehensive dialogue to peacefully resolve their differences.
On Thursday the delegation met members of the US Congressional Pakistan Caucus in Washington. These included Republican party leaders Jack Bergman and Ryan Zinke and Democratic leaders Tom Suozzi and Ilhan Omar, among others.
“Pakistan remains committed to peace, but sadly, India consistently resists dialogue,” Bhutto Zardari was quoted as saying by Bilawal House, his official residence.
The former foreign minister criticized India’s decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, a decades-old water-sharing agreement with Pakistan.
