ISLAMABAD: A high-level delegation led by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has stressed the need for dialogue with India in a series of meetings with US Congress members in Washington, state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Thursday.
Pakistan has launched a broad-based engagement campaign in the United States to present its perspective on the recent spike in tensions with India, and counter New Delhi’s growing lobbying presence there. As part of its global outreach, the team will also visit London and Brussels.
The delegation comprises former foreign ministers Bilawal, Hina Rabbani Khar and Khurram Dastgir; Senators Sherry Rehman, Musadik Malik, Faisal Sabzwari and Bushra Anjum Butt; along with senior envoys Jalil Abbas Jilani and Tehmina Janjua.
During Wednesday’s discussions at Capitol Hill, the delegation underscored the urgency of dialogue on the Kashmir issue, noting it was an “unfinished agenda of the United Nations”.It stressed the imperative of respect for international law, UN Security Council resolutions and the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Radio Pakistan added.
Bilawal emphasised that sustainable peace in South Asia hinged on dialogue, restraint and a just resolution of the Kashmir dispute, rather than “unilateralism or intimidation”.He briefed members of Congress on India’s recent acts of unprovoked aggression, including the targeting of civilians, as well as the “deeply concerning” and unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
Bilawal appreciated the US, particularly “President Donald Trump, for his constructive role in helping de-escalate tensions and supporting efforts towards a ceasefire”, according to the report.The delegation reiterated Pakistan’s principled stance on regional peace, counterterrorism efforts and recent Indian aggression, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment “to peace, responsible conduct, and rejection of baseless allegations”.
Meanwhile, members of the Congress welcomed the Pakistani delegation, urging “both countries to demonstrate restraint and prioritise regional peace and stability”, Radio Pakistan stated.They reiterated the US support for the people of Pakistan and its commitment to aiding the country’s economic progress.
Earlier today, Bilawal posted on X that his team met with Congressmen Jack Bergman and Tom Suozzi, who co-chair the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, along with Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar and Republican Party’s Ryan Keith Zinke.
During the meeting, the Pakistani delegation underscored that enduring regional peace rested on “principled dialogue, mutual restraint, and a just settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, not unilateralism and coercion”.
Bergman and Suozzi were among a group of lawmakers who visited Pakistan in April and met with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, along with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.Bergman has repeatedly voiced support for former prime minister Imran Khan, calling for his release.
On the delegation’s meeting with Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, Bilawal termed the exchange constructive. The PPP chairman said they discussed “Pakistan’s deep concerns over India’s increasingly belligerent posture and its refusal to engage, whether through dialogue, joint investigation, or third-party facilitation”.
