“Our future will be defined not by the conflicts of the past, but by a new destiny defined by peaceful co-existence.” — Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari
When Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari sat across from Karan Thapar, it was not just an (online) interview — it was a political wager. A leader still carving his place in Pakistan’s turbulent polity chose to address India’s public directly, knowing full well the reputational risks.
It was a calculated attempt to recast Pakistan not as a pariah, but as a nation in post-traumatic repair.
Between Blame and Burden
Bilawal insisted that Pakistan no longer shelters terrorist entities. He referenced military operations in Waziristan, the National Action Plan, and the FATF reforms as markers of a “new Pakistan.”
But his unwillingness to address Pakistan’s ambiguous stance on TRF at the UN reflects an ongoing tension between strategic ambition and moral consistency.
Patriotism does not require denial. But it demands honest reckoning.
The Human Cost: Neither Theatre Nor Deflection
Bilawal’s reminder of Pakistan’s losses — 92,000 lives, over 1,200 civilians killed in 2024 alone — should not be dismissed as theatrics. Terrorism is not a foreign policy tool when it destroys your own streets, your own leaders, your own children.
Pakistan is both perpetrator and patient in the global narrative on terror. That duality is uncomfortable — but real.
A Peace Doctrine in the Making?
Bilawal’s outreach to Indian youth — to collaborate on shared challenges like climate change, economic inequality, and digital authoritarianism — is perhaps the most compelling departure from traditional rhetoric.
But rhetoric is not reform. Pakistan’s credibility hinges on:Ending strategic ambiguity around non-state actors.
Engaging in transparent diplomacy.
Institutionalizing irreversible counter-terror mechanisms.
An Invitation, Not a Verdict
Bilawal did not offer a closing argument. He issued an opening invitation. An invitation to dialogue, not détente; to skeptical engagement, not emotional surrender.
Peace in South Asia will not come from echo chambers, hashtags, or studio debates. It will emerge when both India and Pakistan learn to doubt their own certainties — and to act, despite that doubt, with courage.
Link to the interview: A Very Quarrelsome Interview With Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on the Terror Pakistan Inflicts on India
It was a calculated attempt to recast Pakistan not as a pariah, but as a nation in post-traumatic repair.
Between Blame and Burden
Bilawal insisted that Pakistan no longer shelters terrorist entities. He referenced military operations in Waziristan, the National Action Plan, and the FATF reforms as markers of a “new Pakistan.”
But his unwillingness to address Pakistan’s ambiguous stance on TRF at the UN reflects an ongoing tension between strategic ambition and moral consistency.
Patriotism does not require denial. But it demands honest reckoning.
The Human Cost: Neither Theatre Nor Deflection
Bilawal’s reminder of Pakistan’s losses — 92,000 lives, over 1,200 civilians killed in 2024 alone — should not be dismissed as theatrics. Terrorism is not a foreign policy tool when it destroys your own streets, your own leaders, your own children.
Pakistan is both perpetrator and patient in the global narrative on terror. That duality is uncomfortable — but real.
A Peace Doctrine in the Making?
Bilawal’s outreach to Indian youth — to collaborate on shared challenges like climate change, economic inequality, and digital authoritarianism — is perhaps the most compelling departure from traditional rhetoric.
But rhetoric is not reform. Pakistan’s credibility hinges on:Ending strategic ambiguity around non-state actors.
Engaging in transparent diplomacy.
Institutionalizing irreversible counter-terror mechanisms.
An Invitation, Not a Verdict
Bilawal did not offer a closing argument. He issued an opening invitation. An invitation to dialogue, not détente; to skeptical engagement, not emotional surrender.
Peace in South Asia will not come from echo chambers, hashtags, or studio debates. It will emerge when both India and Pakistan learn to doubt their own certainties — and to act, despite that doubt, with courage.
Link to the interview: A Very Quarrelsome Interview With Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on the Terror Pakistan Inflicts on India
References
Bhutto-Zardari, B. [@BBhuttoZardari]. (2025, July 9). My interview with Karan Thapar should be out later today… [Post]. X. https://x.com/BBhuttoZardari/status/1942872503983948056
Geo News. (2025, July 9). Pakistan never backs terrorists, Bilawal tells India’s Karan Thapar clearly. https://www.geo.tv/latest/613219-pakistan-never-backs-terrorists-bilawal-tells-indias-karan-thapar-clearly
The News. (2025, July 9). Pakistan’s actions to root out terrorism globally recognised, says Bilawal. https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1327402-pakistans-actions-to-root-out-terrorism-globally-recognised-says-bilawal
The Wire. (2025, July 9). Watch | Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on the terror Pakistan inflicts on India [Video interview]. https://thewire.in/south-asia/watch-bilawal-bhutto-zardari-karan-thapar-terror-pakistan
Bhutto-Zardari, B. [@BBhuttoZardari]. (2025, July 9). My interview with Karan Thapar should be out later today… [Post]. X. https://x.com/BBhuttoZardari/status/1942872503983948056
Geo News. (2025, July 9). Pakistan never backs terrorists, Bilawal tells India’s Karan Thapar clearly. https://www.geo.tv/latest/613219-pakistan-never-backs-terrorists-bilawal-tells-indias-karan-thapar-clearly
The News. (2025, July 9). Pakistan’s actions to root out terrorism globally recognised, says Bilawal. https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1327402-pakistans-actions-to-root-out-terrorism-globally-recognised-says-bilawal
The Wire. (2025, July 9). Watch | Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on the terror Pakistan inflicts on India [Video interview]. https://thewire.in/south-asia/watch-bilawal-bhutto-zardari-karan-thapar-terror-pakistan
