June 2, 2025
ISLAMABAD – Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, along with a nine-member high-level parliamentary delegation, will visit New York tomorrow on a two-day visit to present Pakistan’s perspective on the recent military clash with India and counter New Delhi’s disinformation campaign on the conflict.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided to send a diplomatic delegation to important world capitals in the aftermath of the recent military escalation with the neighbouring country. He entrusted PPP Chairman Bilawal to lead the delegation.
The delegation comprises Senator Rehman, former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Dr Musadik Malik, Engineer Khurram Dastgir, Faisal Subzwari, Tehmina Janjua, Senator Bushra Anjum Butt and Jalil Abbas Jilani.
According to Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), the delegation members would conduct several meetings, including with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UN General Assembly President Philemon Yang, and the ambassadors of permanent and non-permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Besides these meetings, the delegation will also brief the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) members at the UN, the report said.
Bilawal, along with other members of the delegation, would interact with media representatives after the visit.
The visit follows a recent military confrontation between India and Pakistan over New Delhi’s allegations against Islamabad, without evidence, about a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
As New Delhi launched air strikes in early May, killing civilians, Pakistan downed five Indian jets in retaliation. After tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally reach a ceasefire.
In a similar development, the Indian government also announced that seven all-party delegations would visit key partner countries, including members of the UN Security Council, to present the country’s stance on terrorism and “project India’s national consensus”.