Ground Shaking Under Pakistan's Feet? Islamabad To Send Bilawal-Led Delegation After India's Anti-Terrorism Global Push

In an expected yet notable move, Pakistan is once again following India's lead. Islamabad is set to dispatch a delegation of its own after New Delhi made a similar announcement.

India's All-Party Delegations: Following India's announcement of sending seven All-Party Delegations worldwide to highlight its stance against 'cross-border terrorism,' Pakistan is set to dispatch a delegation, led by Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman and former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, to advocate for "peace" on the global stage.

India on Saturday had announced that in the context of 'Operation Sindoor' and India's 'continued fight against cross-border terrorism', seven All-Party Delegations are set to visit key partner countries, including members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), later this month.

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs' statement read, "The All-Party Delegations will project India's national consensus and resolute approach to combating terrorism in all forms and manifestations. They would carry forth to the world the country's strong message of zero-tolerance against terrorism."

Following this, Bhutto Zardari, in a post on the social media platform Facebook, said that Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had asked him to lead a delegation to present Pakistan's case for "peace" on the international stage. 

"I was contacted earlier today by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who requested that I lead a delegation to present Pakistan's case for peace on the international stage," Zardari wrote.

India's Seven All-Party Delegations

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, on Saturday, announced that seven All-Party Delegations will be visiting key partner countries, including members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), later this month in the context of Operation Sindoor and India's continued 'fight against cross-border terrorism'.

The MPs who will lead the seven delegations are: Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor, BJP Leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad and Baijayant Panda, JDU's Sanjay Kumar Jha, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi of DMK, NCP (SP) Leader Supriya Sule, and Shiv Sena Leader Shrikant Eknath Shinde.

India-Pakistan Tensions

In a gruesome terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, 26 individuals were killed. Following this, India announced several measures against Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Water Treaty of 1960. New Delhi also took a series of punitive measures against Islamabad. 

The Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). According to ANI, after the airstrike, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling across the Line of Control (LoC) and J-K, and attempted drone attacks along the border regions, following which India carried out a coordinated strike and damaged radar infrastructure, communication centres, and airfields across 11 airbases in Pakistan. 

(with ANI inputs)