Former Pakistan Foreign Minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has recently made a statement that has once again created political stir in Indo-Pak relations. He has said that if a person has serious allegations under investigation and India demands it, then he can be assigned to India. While some people are looking at this statement as a sign of a “soft policy”, this statement is being described as ‘against the national interest’ in the opposition and radical circles in Pakistan.
Let us tell you that this statement of Bilawal has come at a time when Pakistan is struggling with internal instability, economic plight and growing terrorist network. Pakistan’s image on international forums is continuously deteriorating and on forums like FATF, monitoring sword is hanging on it. In such a situation, efforts are being made to give some positive indication towards India so that diplomatic pressure can be reduced.
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At the same time, making such a statement on extradition with India shows that the young political generation of Pakistan, especially leaders like Bilawal Bhutto, want to adopt a realistic view by understanding global pressures. But the question also arises whether this statement is actually a sign of policy change or is it only a strategy of a “image building”? Let us remind you that recently, Bilawal had said on the issue of the postponement of the Indus Water Treaty by India that if the water does not flow, the bleeding will flow.
On the other hand, Imran Khan’s party PTI and several radical Islamic organizations in Pakistan called it “anti -national” soon after Bilawal’s statement. They allege that the Bhutto family is showing unnecessary softening with India and putting the security of the country at stake. Even the informal circles of the Pakistan Army have expressed displeasure over this statement. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has criticized Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for his statement, calling him immature in politics.
Let us tell you that according to a news from the ‘Don’ newspaper, Bilawal said on Friday that his country has no objection to extradite ‘persons under investigation’ as a measure of restoration of confidence to India, provided that New Delhi shows the desire to cooperate in this process. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) president Bilawal said in an interview with ‘Al Jazeera’, “The issues we discuss, terrorism is one of them and I am sure that Pakistan will not oppose any of these things as a comprehensive talk. Bilawal made this comment, answering a question about extradited to India under a possible agreement and goodwill trend.
Let us tell you that according to the National Anti-Terrorism Authority, both Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed have been banned by Pakistan, while Hafiz Saeed, the main conspiracy of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, is currently serving a 33-year sentence for the financing of terrorism. Similarly, Azhar, who was declared a global terrorist by the United Nations, has also been banned by the authority. The opposition says that Bilawal’s proposal is wrong and is not good for Pakistan’s national security and such statements humiliate the country on international forums. Pakistani opposition says that we are not able to understand why Bilawal is so eager to please India. ‘
Meanwhile, Hafiz Saeed’s son has also questioned Bilawal’s remarks. He said, “Bilawal Bhutto should not have talked about the extradition of Pakistanis. His statement is against the country’s policy, nation’s interest and sovereignty and we strongly condemn it. “Hafiz Saeed’s son Hafiz Talha Saeed said in a statement in Lahore on Sunday,” Bilawal Bhutto either does not know the ground reality or promoting the enemy’s discourse. “He questioned whether any representative of the country can talk about the enemy country? Talha defended his father and said that no step of Saeed is against Pakistan. According to reports, Saeed has been in Lakhpat Jail in Lahore since 2019. Let us tell you that Saeed was convicted in the financing cases of terrorist activities. His terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba is responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, killing 166 people.
Meanwhile, political analysts believe that this statement may also be an attempt to reveal Bilawal’s “new-youth image”, allowing them to emerge as a mature and responsible leader on the international platform. On the other hand, there has not been any formal response from India yet, but experts associated with security and foreign policy have described it as “theoretically positive”. Let us tell you that India has been demanding extradition of terrorists and criminals wanted from Pakistan for years, including names like Dawood Ibrahim and Hafiz Saeed. If Pakistan really takes some steps in this direction seriously, it will be a remarkable progress towards security cooperation in South Asia. But India also knows very well that Pakistan’s politics and bureaucracy have a deep gorge between “statement and policy”.
However, this statement by Bilawal Bhutto can be seen as an unusual initiative in Indo-Pak relations, but its reality can be tested only when it is implemented at the ground level. While this statement indicates the thinking of the new generation in Pakistan, it is less likely to give India some immediate benefits. At the same time, politics on this issue reflects the internal power struggle, ideological conflict and diplomatic instability of Pakistan.