New York: Former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto may not have bargained for this when he accused India of using the Pahalgam terror attack to ‘demonise’ Muslims in the country at a press conference at the United Nations headquarters on Tuesday.
He was at a loss for words when a journalist wanted to know how a Muslim Army officer had led India’s media briefing during Operation Sindoor if what he was saying is true.
“Muslims were being demonised in India,” Bhutto had said on the issue of Kashmir.
This was when veteran journalist Ahmed Fathi stated: “You said that the recent terrorist attack in Kashmir is being used as a political tool to demonise Muslims in India. But, Sir, I have watched briefings on both sides, and as far as I recall, there were Muslim Indian military officers who were conducting the briefings on the Indian side.”
He was clearly referring to Col Sofiya Qureshi who provided details of the operations along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.
Bhutto was visibly caught off guard. Without offering a rebuttal, he simply nodded and said: “As far as the operations are concerned, you’re absolutely right.”
Bhutto is part of a high-level Pakistani delegation, comprising three former foreign ministers, travelled to the US as part of Islamabad’s global diplomatic push to seek support following its recent conflict with India.
Bhutto was also forced to concede that Pakistan’s efforts to raise the Kashmir issue at the UN continues to face significant obstacles within the UN. “As far as the hurdles we face within the UN and in general, as far as the Kashmir cause is concerned, that still exists,” he said.
The Pakistani politician also attempted to shift focus from political tensions to the importance of diplomatic engagement. Bhutto called for renewed dialogue with India, emphasizing that cooperation was the only realistic path toward peace.
“We can’t leave the fate of 1.5 billion, 1.7 billion people in the hands of non-state actors and terrorists,” Bhutto said. He urged for enhanced intelligence-sharing and diplomatic talks, pointing out that the risks of conflict between two nuclear-armed nations made it essential for both sides to engage in constructive dialogue.
