In an interview with FRANCE 24, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, head of the Pakistan People’s Party, discussed the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan. One year ago, after a five-day war between the two countries, US President Donald Trump announced a full ceasefire, but “there are underlying tensions that can, at any point, lead to yet another conflict”, our guest warned.
The head of the Pakistan People’s Party, which is part of the governing coalition, pointed out that the ceasefire “was meant to be the beginning of a process the Indian side had committed to at the time”, but “unfortunately, that didn’t happen”. He claimed that India “continues to collectively punish the people of Pakistan by violating the Indus Water Treaty”, which was suspended by India after the 2025 Kashmir attack. According to Bhutto Zardari, “both countries should engage in a dialogue in pursuit of peace through diplomacy”.
Asked about India accusing Pakistan of hosting and supporting terrorist groups, Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan had been “consistently challenging this threat”. He added: “Terrorism is not only an issue for Pakistan; this is an issue for India as well. Pakistan and India have no lines of communication, no means of coordinating. You can’t counter terrorism without cross-border cooperation.”
“Unfortunately, most of the terrorist attacks that do take place in Pakistan are linked to organisations within Afghanistan,” Bhutto Zardari declared. Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have been rising, which led to deadly air strikes on Kabul in March.
“As far as the Indian element is concerned, they continue to fund organisations that are behind terrorist activities within Pakistan,” he claimed.
‘No military solution to the Strait of Hormuz crisis’
With its strategic location at the crossroads of the Middle East, Pakistan has emerged as a central player in brokering the US-Iran talks. “There’s no military solution to the Strait of Hormuz crisis”, Bhutto Zardari said.
“Ultimately, we need to build on the momentum of this ceasefire for a more permanent solution, a more permanent peace,” he added.
For Bhutto Zardari, the repercussions of a return to conflict would not affect only Pakistan – there would be “consequences for the entire international community”.
This story originally appeared on France24
