ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI — Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman and former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has accused the Indian government of deceiving its own people over Pakistan’s alleged involvement in the Pahalgam attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir, which recently sparked heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
In a wide-ranging and high-stakes interview with Indian journalist Karan Thapar for The Wire, Bilawal challenged New Delhi’s narrative, insisting that no credible evidence has been presented linking Pakistan to the deadly assault.
“The Indian public has been lied to,” Bilawal said during the interview. “If Pakistan were truly involved, the evidence would be there. The perpetrators would be identified, and the international community would have backed India’s position. That hasn’t happened.”
This marks the first interview by a Pakistani leader to Indian media since the military flare-up, making Bilawal’s remarks particularly significant in the current climate.
He stressed that Islamabad had offered to participate in an impartial international investigation into the attack — an offer that was rejected by the Indian government. “Even now, India has not shared with Pakistan, the global community, or its own people, who exactly these so-called Pakistani attackers were,” he said.
Criticizing the Indian government and media, Bilawal alleged that a deliberate campaign of disinformation had been launched during the crisis to mislead the Indian population. “It’s uncomfortable, I know, but the truth must be said,” he stated. “The government has been unable to prove its claims, and instead, they’ve resorted to narratives aimed at vilifying Pakistan without basis.”
He further pointed out that if the evidence existed, the global community would have rallied behind India’s stance, but that has not occurred — an indication, he argued, that India’s claims lack substance.
During the conversation, Thapar also questioned Bilawal on the issue of extraditing individuals like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar — leaders of proscribed militant outfits LeT and JeM. Bilawal reiterated Pakistan’s openness to dialogue and cooperation, noting that Islamabad would not object to extradition, provided India reciprocates in good faith and abides by due legal process.
He highlighted that Hafiz Saeed had already been sentenced to 31 years in prison by Pakistani courts in 2022 for terrorist financing — a step that often goes unacknowledged in international discussions.
On the sensitive subject of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Bilawal was frank in admitting that the trial in Pakistan remains incomplete, largely due to India’s reluctance to cooperate. “Our legal system cannot convict without witness testimonies. India’s refusal to participate in the judicial process and send witnesses has stalled the case,” he explained.
Bilawal concluded the interview with a message of cooperation and reconciliation, urging both sides to rebuild diplomatic trust and focus on justice and peace. “We must return to a relationship where such cooperation is possible again. Only then can we deliver justice to the victims of Mumbai and move forward.”
