WASHINGTON — Pakistan’s former international minister warned US lawmakers and diplomats final week that the “threshold” for struggle between his nation and India is decrease than ever following clashes within the disputed area of Kashmir final month.
“We’re extremely grateful for the position that the US authorities — President Trump, Secretary [of State] Marco Rubio — created all through this disaster in serving to us all obtain this cease-fire,” Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the present chairman of the Pakistan Individuals’s Celebration, instructed The Submit in a current interview.
“However our message has been that the cease-fire is a begin, however it’s only a begin, and what we search is help in our pursuit of peace by dialogue and diplomacy.”
“We’re all quite a bit much less secure because of this battle than we have been earlier than,” added Zardari, the son of the late Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. “The edge of full-out navy battle between India and Pakistan has been drastically lowered — the bottom it has ever been in our historical past, because of this battle.”
The US-brokered truce between the nuclear-armed nations took impact Might 10 after weeks of combating.
India accused Pakistan of sparking the battle by supporting an April 22 terror assault that left 26 civilians lifeless within the phase of Kashmir underneath New Delhi’s management.
Most of these killed have been Hindus, and Indian Overseas Secretary Vikram Misri pointed the finger on the Kashmir-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba for the carnage within the resort city of Pahalgam.
The Pakistani delegation that got here to Washington expressed a want to coordinate with India on counter-terrorism — however rejected that Islamabad was concerned in any method with the assault.
“The Prime Minister of Pakistan provided an neutral worldwide inquiry as a result of we have been assured that Pakistan will not be concerned on this terrorist incident,” Zardari mentioned. “The worldwide intelligence group endorses this view.”
“As issues stand now, if there’s a terrorist assault anyplace in India,” he went on, “it instantly means struggle, and the legislation of reciprocation means, subsequently, if there’s a terrorist assault in Pakistan, we’re to additionally deal with it as an act of struggle.”
Zardari additionally mentioned that India’s menace to chop off Pakistan’s water was “an existential matter” that will be thought of “an act of struggle.”
“If we’re to have interaction in a brand new dialogue with India, make new guarantees with each other that would doubtlessly result in new treaties, then it’s essential that they abide by the previous treaties just like the Indus Water Treaty,” he mentioned.
The delegation from Islamabad met with officers within the State Division and Congress and is headed this week to fulfill with UK and European diplomats in hopes of brokering a extra lasting peace.
“We had a navy higher hand after we agreed to the cease-fire. We did so on the stipulation that the cease-fire can be step one,” Zardari mentioned. “I’m optimistic that the president is obsessed with peace and that he might be profitable in pushing that message right here in the USA. Pakistan is clearly prepared.”
Reps for the Indian embassy in Washington didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
