Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pak’s former Foreign Minister, has openly admitted that Pakistan continues to struggle in raising the Kashmir issue at global platforms, especially the United Nations.
At a press conference held at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday, Bilawal said, “As far as the hurdles we face within the UN and in general, as far as the Kashmir cause is concerned, that still exists.”
Bhutto is leading a parliamentary delegation to the United States, part of a government-driven effort to promote Pakistan’s viewpoint on rising regional tensions. This includes responding to India’s Operation Sindoor, launched after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 persons.
While speaking with UN officials and diplomats, Bilawal shared that there was “receptiveness” when discussing issues like terrorism and water conflicts.
Pakistan Mirrors India’s Diplomatic Push
Observers have noted that Pakistan’s delegation strategy seems to reflect India’s recent diplomatic outreach, where an all-party delegation has been touring several countries to highlight New Delhi’s position following the Pahalgam attack. Pakistan’s efforts appear to be aiming at balancing its narrative against India’s, especially in key Western nations.
Since landing in New York on Monday, Bilawal’s team met with several senior UN leaders — including General Assembly President Philemon Yang, Secretary-General António Guterres, and Security Council President Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett. They’ve also met with representatives from the US, China, Russia, and France — the four other permanent members of the UN Security Council — along with diplomats from non-permanent member states.
The Pakistani delegation is set to continue its tour in Washington, DC on Wednesday. At the same time an Indian delegation led by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor will also be in the city.
India’s Final Stop
The Indian all-party parliamentary delegation, headed by Tharoor, reached Washington on Tuesday after visiting Belgium and four countries in Latin America. On arrival, they were welcomed by India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra.
The Indian team includes MPs from across party lines — Sarfaraz Ahmad, Ganti Harish Madhur, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Tejasvi Surya — along with former Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Their mission is to strongly reinforce India’s stand: a firm stance against terrorism and a clear message defending its sovereignty.
Tharoor told ANI that there is going to be an increased interest as the Pak delegation will be in Washington at the same time as the Indian delegation. “There’s going to be perhaps an increase in interest because there are two duelling delegations in the same city,” Tharoor said before departing from Brussels.