Tag: Bilawal Bhutto

Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday gave an exclusive interview to Indian journalist Karan Thapar on The Wire, the first major appearance by a Pakistani politician on Indian media since the two countries engaged in military clashes in May. 

The PPP chairman said the Indian public was “lied to” by New Delhi about Pakistan’s alleged involvement in the April 22 attack in Pahalgam in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that killed 26 people, including a Nepalese national.

Bilawal reminded the Indian journalist that Pakistan has been willing to be part of an impartial international investigation into the Pahalgam incident, however, “your government refused that”. 

“To this day, the Indian government has not shared with Pakistan, with the international community, with the Indian public… who exactly are these individuals that were involved in this terrorist attack that are from Pakistan?” said the PPP chairman, asking Thapar why did he not know the names of the attackers.

“It’s very uncomfortable for you that I point out the truth to the Indian public, that they have been lied to… that Pakistan was involved in this attack when we were not,” he stressed, as Karan Thapar turner increasingly aggressive. 

Bilawal further stated that New Delhi has been unable to provide the evidence that Pakistan allegedly orchestrated the attack in Pahalgam, adding, “That’s why during this war, the Indian media and the Indian government launched a campaign of disinformation to continue to bamboozle the people of India.”

On being asked about Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) Chief Hafiz Saeed and the November 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks, which claimed the lives of at least 166 people, Bilawal highlighted that the LeT chief was in prison and that the Mumbai attack case was still ongoing.

“As far as Hafiz Saeed is concerned, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, he was sentenced to 31 years in prison for terrorist financing in April 2022 by Pakistan,” Bilawal added.

“As far as the Mumbai attack case is concerned, it’s absolutely true that the case is still sub judice. The frustration that the courts and the Pakistani government and legal system are having with achieving a conviction is that India is refusing to participate in the trial and produce the witnesses necessary to record their statements.”

Despite repeated interruptions and attempts by the Indian journalist to sensationalise the conversation for local Indian audience, Bilawal answered all questions with clarity, without losing his diplomatic poise, a fact being praised by netizens in Pakistan.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), one user wrote that during the interview, Bilawal “chooses dialogue over division”. Another wrote, “Midway through the debate, I greatly admire Mr. Bilawal’s calm demeanour and his impressive restraint in keeping his temper throughout.”

Another tweep, while highlighting Thapar becoming unreasonably combative, asked, “As for the interview, was that Arnab Goswami (controversial Indian anchor) in disguise as Karan Thapar?”

“Karan Thapar, usually calm, spoke over @BBhuttoZardari 31 times in 34 mins, interrupted outright 23 times, got visibly frustrated 7 times. Bilawal’s longest free answer? Barely 1 minute. Bilawal didn’t lose composure once. That’s who won the room (sic),” another account pointed out.

“A powerful and bold move by @BBhuttoZardari, taking Pakistan’s stance right into the heart of Indian media. This is not just diplomacy; it’s defiance with clarity. We need leaders who confront narratives, not hide behind them,” a fifth user said.

Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari lost his cool while replying to a tweet posted by former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry, telling the latter that the Sindhu River is the Indus River and all Pakistanis belong to the Indus Valley civilisation.

Both politicians exchanged tense words on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday afternoon when the PPP head commented on a press release issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), which reads that it was not open to India to unilaterally suspend the Indus Water Treaty or hold it in abeyance.

Following the April 22 Pahalgam incident in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), India suspended the long-standing Indus Water Treaty (IWT). An illegitimate action, which Pakistan declared, will be considered an “act of war”. 

Sharing the press release on X, Bilawal wrote, “Sindhu pay hamla na manzoor (attack on the Indus, unacceptable). India’s unilateral decision regarding the Indus Water treaty have no bearing in international law (sic).”

Chaudhry was quick to pounce upon the tweet, replying, “This [is] an attack on Pakistan, not on Sindh, unless you have also joined Sindhu Daish under the GM (Ghulam Murtaza) Syed family,” adding, “BB (Benazir Bhutto) would never have made such statement.”

GM Syed was a veteran Sindhi nationalist leader and author of almost sixty books on various topics, such as history, Sufism, politics, and philosophy. He was born on 17 January 1904, in the small village of Sann, Sindh. He died in 1995. 

The exchange between the two leaders did not stop there. Calling Chaudhry an “idiot”, Bilawal stated that Sindhu is actually the indigenous name of the Indus River. 

“The Indus Valley civilization belongs to all of Pakistan. The word ‘Indus’ is the Latinized version of Sindhu, brought into English via the Greek name ‘Indos’ (Ἰνδός), which in turn was derived from the Persian pronunciation of Sindhu’,” he explained.

In reply to Chairman PPP’s explanation, Chaudhry maintained that Bilawal “obviously” has no knowledge of politics in Sindhu, alleging, “that’s the problem when you become chairman on fake will and not through political process (sic).”

However, the fact is that the Indus river is called Sindhu and the land of the Indus Valley Civilisation is called Sindhu Desh.

Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Monday that Pakistan will go to war if India does not abide by the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), which New Delhi put in “abeyance” following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam in held Kashmir.

“If India does not abide by the Indus Water Treaty and attempts to build canals and dams [on Pakistan’s share of water], then Pakistan will go to war,” he said, speaking at the National Assembly session, adding, “We will secure the waters of all six rivers for our nation.”

Bhutto’s warning came days after Indian Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that New Delhi will never restore the IWT with Islamabad, and the water flowing to Pakistan will be diverted for internal use.

In an interview with the Times of India on Saturday, the Indian home minister said, “No, it [IWT] will never be restored,” adding, “We will take water that was flowing to Pakistan to Rajasthan by constructing a canal. Pakistan will be starved of water that it has been getting unjustifiably.”

 
According to the treaty, three eastern rivers, Sutlej, Beas and Ravi, were awarded to India, while Pakistan received the three Western rivers, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum, which account for the majority (almost 80 percent) of the shared basin’s water.

Bhutto, citing the global silence on Israeli aggression against neighbouring Iran, warned that “if we don’t speak out for Iranians, there will be no one left when they come for us.”

“First, they came for the Palestinians, but the world did not speak out because they weren’t Palestinian. Then they came for the Lebanese, but we did not speak out because we were not Lebanese. And then they came for the Yemenis, but we did not speak out because we’re not from Yemen,” Bilawal highlighted. 

“Now, they’ve come for Iran. If we do not speak out, there will be no one left when they come for us. The Israeli regime’s aggression across the region must be stopped,” he added.

Chairman PPP’s key remarks followed Israel’s illegitimate attacks on Iran on June 13. Israel said that it wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons. Israel itself is widely assumed to have nuclear weapons, which it neither confirms nor denies.

Iran claims its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only. Iranian officials have repeatedly said they do not plan to develop nuclear weapons but will pursue their right to nuclear energy and research.

The tension further intensified after the US carried out attacks in Iran’s three nuclear sites, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, directly entering into the conflict. The illegitimate attack has Iran vowing revenge.

Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari calling the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi the “Temu version” of the genocidal Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has left the internet divided but garnered more praise than criticism.

“Mr. Modi is sort of the Temu version of Netanyahu… A poor copy,” Bilawal said while addressing a press conference at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

“Mr. Modi started off as being perceived as the butcher of Gujarat. When done, he went on to become the butcher of Kashmir; now he aspires to be the butcher of the Indus Valley civilisation,” Bilawal remarked.

Chairman PPP, along with former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Khurram Dastgir, Senators Sherry Rehman, Musadik Malik, Faisal Sabzwari, Bushra Anjum Butt, as well as diplomats Jalil Abbas Jilani and Tehmina Janjua, are part of the Pakistani delegation tasked with addressing the global community about Pakistan’s Point of View in response to India’s delegation on Operation Sindoor.

It is not the first time that the Chairman of the PPP has belittled the Indian PM. In 2022, when he was the Foreign Minister, he had said in a press conference in New York that Al Qaeda leader “Osama Bin Laden is dead; however, the butcher of Gujarat is alive, and he is the Prime Minister of India.”

Internet users took no time to react to the statement. While some praised Bilawal for not mincing his words against the hypernationalist Indian PM, others maintained that analogy disparaged the ShopTemu.

A social media user said that Bilawal’s statement “will be remembered in history forever.” Another user sarcastically wrote, “The team ‘Temu’ has expressed its displeasure at being associated with Prime Minister Modi.”

The third user said, “Bilawal Bhutto has just nailed it.”

“This boy is astonishing everyone with his remarkable ability to express himself. Along with reasoning, logic, history, and laws, he also brings a touch of humor. Believe me, in the coming years, he will be loved in Pakistan and around the world,” wrote another user.

One of the users wrote, “I truly appreciate this. Looking at the current cabinet, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari genuinely was the most sensible choice to present Pakistan’s case.”

“I take strong exception to this insult to Temu by Bilawal. We should avoid such unfair comparison,” said another netizen.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Bilawal Bhutto in a media talk has rightly critiqued Modi and compared him with Netanyahu. Unfortunately, the analogy he used was disparaging for @shoptemu. He should know that Temu is not a poor copy.

“Even in the USA, it has been the app with the fastest growing user base, and its global user base is now within 10% of Amazon and set to overtake it. This western narrative of Chinese being poor copies is dated and Pakistani’s should know this better than anyone else after the dominance of chinese technology in the post pehelgam conflict with India (sic).”

Journalist and YouTuber Moeed Pirzada has been slammed for drawing an ill-conceived comparison between Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Indian Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor after both leaders were appointed to lead their respective delegations to the international community on the recent Pakistan-India clashes.

Senior Congress leader Tharoor has been appointed to lead one of the seven all-party delegations tasked with briefing key foreign governments on the recent conflict whereas PPP chief Bilawal has been appointed by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif to lead a high-level delegation for presenting “Pakistan’s case for peace” against Indian aggression.

In a vlog on his YouTube channel on Sunday, Pirzada calling Tharoor a “self-made man” and referred to Bilawal as someone “born with a silver spoon”, adding that that the PPP chief “did not have the ability and experience of Tharoor”.

He further said that the Indian MP had interacted with media from abroad and had a lot of experience in the field while Bilawal, on the other hand, had “not struggled at all and was in politics because of his family”.

While Tharoor shared the clip on his X account with the “thanks” emoji, Pakistani internet users have not shied away from calling the YouTuber out for his baseless rationale.

“Is this hatred for Bilawal or love for Shashi Tharoor? Moeed Pirzada once again steps into the field for the Indian audience,” wrote one user on Pirzada’s clip drawing comparisons between the PPP chief and Indian National Congress leader.

Another opined that Pirzada and disgraced self-proclaimed defence analyst Adil Raja had done more for India than all of Godi media – term used to describe media houses allegedly controlled by Indian premier Narendra Modi’s government.

“When clowns wear press badges, don’t expect news; expect a circus,” wrote a third user.

“@BBhuttoZardari absolutely does have the ability. And experience comes along the way. Pakistanis have full faith in him being the right choice for this task,” said another user.

This, however, wasn’t the first time Pirzada provided Indians with sufficient ammunition to use as an information war continues following military clashes between the countries. Earlier, he also called Indian airstrikes on Pakistani airstrips “accurate”, and claimed that had New Delhi continued targeting Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases for the next 48 hours, “the country would have very few runways left for landing its fighter jets”.

“It was a huge crisis for Pakistan. [United States] President Donald Trump bailed Pakistan out but you [Pakistan] cannot use the US further or play the nuclear card anymore,” he said.

The clip was also shared by Indians, prominently by journalist Barkha Dutt on her X account, describing Pirzada’s claim as “plain truth”.

“Finally, a Pakistani voice speaking the plain truth, ‘Another 48 hours & the Pakistan Air Force would have been crippled’- @MoeedNj on Operation Sindoor & why Pakistan had to implore for a ceasefire. Breaking,” she wrote.

However, it also drew strong reactions from Pakistani netizens.

“Who said he is a Pakistani voice. You joking right?” commented one user.

“He has been involved in treason against Pakistan. There are other important senior and world-class journalists in Pakistan like Hamid Mir and others. Have the courage to call them!” said another.

A third user wrote that Pirzada was “not a Pakistani and instead an American citizen”.

“He is a traitor who fled Pakistan so whatever nonsense he talks about, it has nothing to do with Pakistan. Your media is the same man,” they added.

“Barkha don’t embrace yourself by projecting these touts… [sic] he is a criminal…,” wrote another, mentioning the time when Pirzada was arrested for allegedly forging property documents.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has warned that the party would withdraw from Centre if the federal government did not halt the “controversial” canals project on the Indus River.

“PPP demands that the federal government immediately halted the controversial canals project. Acknowledge our reservations. Otherwise, the PPP cannot continue with you,” Bilawal said while speaking at a rally held in Hyderabad’s Hatri Bypass Ground on Friday night.

The Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI) launched last month is spearheaded by the federal government and hinges on a network of six newly-developed canals that will channel water from the Indus River to irrigate Punjab’s Cholistan region. It is being touted as a bold step towards food security and rural upliftment, transforming barren lands through modern farming techniques.

However, stakeholders fear the project will siphon away water rights from Sindh where the PPP is in power.

“We do not need your ministries, but respect,” the PPP chairperson said in his address on Friday, adding that the canals project was “absolutely unacceptable under any circumstances”.

Bilawal warned that the issue of water distribution could put the federation in danger, adding that people in Islamabad were blind and deaf, and were not willing to listen to their demands. “We are not among those who oppose just for the sake of opposition,” he said and added that they were opposing the [new canal project] because the federal government was in danger.

The PPP chief remarked that the new canals project had been touched upon at a time when militancy was growing in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and said he feared that such a project could result in infighting.

“I thought Shehbaz Sharif would stay away from the project after seeing such a reaction, because he understands that without PPP’s support, he can’t run assembly sessions or pass the budget. But it seems he is not ready to shelve the project. If that is the case, then we are not ready to give up either.”

Bilawal also asked who would speak on the issue if not the PPP.

Earlier, the PPP chief also accused the federal government of denying support prices to farmers and stopping provinces from procuring wheat for the crop. Moreover, he congratulated the people of Umerkot for retaining the seat that had fallen vacant after the demise of Nawab Yusuf Talpur.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that when he was one year old, an attempt was made to kidnap him from the Prime Minister’s House while his mother, the late Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, was the Premier of the country. 

Speaking in the National Assembly session on Thursday (today), Chairman PPP said, “I have been witnessing terrorism since childhood. I was the son of the Prime Minister. When I was one year old, an attempt was made to kidnap me from the Prime Minister’s House.”

He said that following the unsuccessful kidnapping attempt, his mother kept him in London under protection.

He also spoke about terrorism, stating that terrorism has damaged both Pakistan and the PPP. “Benazir Bhutto was martyred in a terrorist incident,” he added.

He asserted that the country has lost all its success against terrorism, adding that at this moment, Pakistan is going through a time more dangerous than any in the past.

“Terrorists have no ideology, no politics. Religious militants have no religion. Whether it is religious extremism or Baloch insurgents, their sole purpose is to spread fear, shed blood, and derail Pakistan’s progress,” Bilawal stated.

Recalling the Army Public School (APS) tragedy, he highlighted how all political parties had set aside their differences to implement the National Action Plan (NAP), which had significantly weakened terrorist networks in the past. “But unfortunately, we have lost the gains we made against terrorism. The flames of militancy have reignited, and we are facing a more dangerous period than before,” he stressed. 

Bilawal said that Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif created the first NAP to combat terrorism, so there is no reason why incumbent PM Shehbaz Sharif cannot formulate the second one.

Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated on Tuesday that the recently passed 26th Constitutional Amendment was approved in a compromised form rather than its original version.  

Speaking at Oxford University, Bhutto claimed, “PPP, as far as a parliamentary force, is the only party to consistently oppose the legislations,” adding that he wanted to draw the attention of those criticising PECA amendment to the fact that the original proposal had included 30-year imprisonment as penalty for social media posts. 

“We [PPP] always engaged in a process and contributed through amendments our input to passing [PECA amendments], which is not an ideal legislation, but better legislation than was initially proposed (sic),” Bhutto said, defending the changes.

On January 29, President Asif Ali Zardari signed PECA amendment into law, despite the journalist fraternity raising concerns.

Section 26(A) of the PECA amendment bill states: “Whoever intentionally disseminates, publicly exhibits, or transmits any information through any information system, that he knows or has reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest in general public or society shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend upto three years or with fine which may extend to Rs2m or with both.”

He downplayed claims that the PPP had weakened democracy by passing the 26th Constitutional Amendment, maintaining that democracy in Pakistan is not very stable. In the same breath, Bilawal claimed Pakistan is not the only country facing the challenge of an unstable democracy.

Separately, the opposition’s two-day Grand Alliance Conference, focusing on the supremacy of the constitutions, commenced in Islamabad on Wednesday. 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Awam Pakistan’s President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen’s (MWM) Nasir Shirazi and others were present in the meeting.

Addressing the conference, former premier and ex-Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Abbasi said that the incumbent government was so fearful today that even a conference to discuss the Constitution could not take place.

Lambasting the PML-N and PPP for imposing restrictions on the conference, Abbasi questioned why the authorities had failed to end political instability in the country. “When political parties abandon their principles, nations cannot function,” he added.

Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, was addressing the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) Amendment Bill 2025 when a heckler interrupted him mid-conversation, leaving him visibly frustrated and briefly shifting the focus of the discussion.

“It would have been great if the [mainstream] media and digital media representatives had been taken into confidence about the PECA bill… the government must build consensus before taking any further actions,” he said, addressing reporters on Friday at Parliament House.

Commenting on the recently passed 26th Constitutional Amendment, the PPP chairman claimed that no one can reverse the constitutional amendment except parliament.

Bilawal also confirmed that he was going to attend breakfast at the invitation of United States (US) President Donald Trump in a personal capacity.

“I will definitely go for breakfast, a practice that’s continued from my mother’s tenure. There’s a possibility of holding meetings with friends of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto there [as well].

“Neither am I a minister nor a government official, so this [trip of mine] is not official or as a representative of the government,” he clarified.

It merits mentioning that Bilawal and incumbent President Asif Ali Zardari attended the pre-inauguration oath ceremony of then-US President-elect Trump in Washington, DC, in 2017.

In response to a question about the new US administration inviting India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar but not Pakistan for Trump’s oath-taking ceremony, Bilawal said it was essential that a representative was invited from India as well after extending an invitation to the Chinese president, given the geopolitical situation between the US and China.

“Pakistan’s foreign policy is intact. Pakistan’s nuclear assets and missile technology are gifts from Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto […] PPP will never compromise on Pakistan’s deterrence,” he said.

Earlier, the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub Khan, spoke to a delegation of the Parliamentary Reporters Association Pakistan (PRAP) in Islamabad and stated that the latest amendments introduced to the PECA law would be used as a weapon.

Omar Ayub, while terming the PECA amendment bill a draconian law aimed at restricting freedom of speech, stated that this act would only impose further restrictions on media freedom in Pakistan.