In the aftermath of India’s decisive Operation Sindoor, launched in retaliation to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Pakistan has now dispatched two high-level diplomatic delegations to various world capitals in a bid to gain international sympathy and reframe its narrative.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO), the move is a response to India’s own global outreach, which saw seven Indian multi-party delegations visit 33 countries to expose Pakistan’s continued sheltering of terror outfits.
The first delegation, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, former Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party, will visit New York, Washington DC, London, and Brussels. The delegation includes several political heavyweights:
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Hina Rabbani Khar, former FM
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Khurram Dastgir Khan, former Defence Minister
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Musadik Malik, current federal minister
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Sherry Rehman and Faisal Subzwari, former ministers
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Bushra Anjum Butt, Senator
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Former foreign secretaries Jalil Abbas Jilani and Tehmina Janjua
The second delegation, headed by Syed Tariq Fatemi, special assistant to PM Shehbaz Sharif, is traveling to Moscow starting June 2. Details about this team were not disclosed.
The delegations are tasked with presenting Pakistan’s version of recent hostilities, which include:
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India’s airstrikes on terror hubs across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on May 7
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Failed Pakistani retaliatory strikes on May 8, 9, and 10
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A ceasefire understanding reached after DGMO-level talks on May 10
The FO claims the outreach will emphasize “dialogue over confrontation” and highlight the “urgency to restore normal functioning of the Indus Waters Treaty.” The delegations will meet with officials from international organizations, foreign governments, think tanks, media, and diaspora groups.
Pakistan’s diplomatic blitz comes after India’s own teams were well-received abroad. India’s delegation strategy has drawn attention to Pakistan’s long-documented complicity in cross-border terrorism, particularly following the killing of 26 civilians in Pahalgam,
