By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has deployed two high-level delegations to major world capitals to challenge India’s narrative on the recent spike in tensions between the nuclear-capable neighbors, the Foreign Office said on Monday.
The diplomatic offensive comes as Islamabad seeks to counter what it describes as India’s “reckless and belligerent actions” and rally international support for dialogue over confrontation.
The first delegation, a strong lineup including three former foreign ministers, two former foreign secretaries, two ex-ambassadors to the United States, and a sitting federal minister, arrived in New York on Sunday for consultations at the United Nations. The team will also travel to Washington, D.C., London, and Brussels, engaging with global leaders, lawmakers, and influencers to underscore Pakistan’s stance.
“The visits of these delegations are aimed at projecting Pakistan’s perspective on the recent Indian aggression,” the Foreign Office said in a statement. “The delegations will highlight Pakistan’s responsible and restrained conduct, seeking peace with responsibility, in the face of India’s reckless and belligerent actions in violation of international law.”
Leading the first delegation are prominent figures such as Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, former foreign ministers Hina Rabbani Khar and Khurram Dastgir, and Senators Sherry Rehman, Musadik Malik, Faisal Sabzwari, and Bushra Anjum Butt. The roster is rounded out by seasoned diplomats Jalil Abbas Jilani and Tehmina Janjua.
In New York, the group is scheduled to meet with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the president of the UN General Assembly, and ambassadors from the five permanent members of the Security Council, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. They will also address a joint session of envoys from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, amplifying their message to the Muslim world.
The delegation’s U.S. leg kicks off June 3 in Washington, D.C., where it will hold talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, senior administration officials, lawmakers, think-tank analysts, and top media organizations. The Foreign Office said these engagements aim to reach a broad audience, including “public office holders, parliamentarians, think tanks, media, and diaspora.”
Meanwhile, a second delegation, led by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi, departed for Moscow, where it will remain from June 2 to June 4. Fatemi’s team is slated to meet senior Russian officials and connect with media and think-tank representatives, reinforcing Pakistan’s outreach to a key global player.
The Foreign Office emphasized that the delegations will press the international community to promote lasting peace in the region, including the “immediate resumption of the normal functioning of the Indus Waters Treaty”, a 1960 agreement regulating water sharing between India and Pakistan that India unilateral suspended following an attack in occupied Kashmir in April. “Dialogue and diplomacy should take precedence over conflict and confrontation,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, former foreign minister Bhutto-Zardari on Monday vowed to present Pakistan’s message of “peace with dignity and equality” at the United Nations (UN).
“Today, we have reached New York, where, Inshallah, we will convey Pakistan’s message, that Pakistan seeks peace with dignity and equality at the UN,” he said in a video message posted on his X account.
He further said that peace in South Asia was not possible without a solution to the longstanding Kashmir dispute as per the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and in line with UN resolutions.
Bhutto-Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Kashmiris. “Pakistan stands with the Kashmiri people,” and warned that their right to self-determination cannot be ignored. He also accused India of breaching the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it “unacceptable.”
Senator Sherry Rehman, a member of Bhutto-Zardari delegation, called the effort as a strategic push rather than a symbolic gesture. “The delegation led by the PPP chairman has already begun its US visit with a packed schedule of high-level multilateral meetings in New York,” she said in a separate statement. “These meetings will have strategic importance and not be mere photo opportunities.”
Rehman cast Pakistan as “a responsible and stable middle power” with a vested interest in “regional peace and security.” She accused India of peddling a “fabricated” narrative and warned that New Delhi “has started using false terrorism allegations as justification for war.” Islamabad, she vowed, “will not be part of any Indian film script.”
“Adherence to international laws is part of Pakistan’s foreign policy,” Rehman added. “This trend cannot be allowed to become the norm.”
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