Pakistan's peace message to triumph over India's war rhetoric: Bilawal

• Bilawal reiterates call for peace through dialogue and diplomacy.
• People want peace, Modi alone seeks war, says PPP chief.
• Hopes MPs he met will work for peace in South Asia.

Former foreign minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that Pakistan’s message of peace will win, and India’s message of war is bound to fail. 

After completing the visit to the United States, Bilawal, along with a nine-member high-level parliamentary delegation, is currently in the United Kingdom, to present Pakistan’s stance on the recent military confrontation with India and to challenge New Delhi’s narrative at the international level.

Members of the parliamentary delegation include Hina Rabbani Khar, Sherry Rehman, Dr Musadik Malik, Khurram Dastgir Khan, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Tehmina Janjua, Bushra Anjum Butt and Syed Faisal Subzwari.

Speaking to the media following his meeting at the British Parliament, the 36-year-old politician said that wherever he has travelled, people have supported peace — not war.

“Only one person, [India's Prime Minister Narendra] Modi, is insisting on war at all costs,” he asserted, reiterating his call for regional peace through dialogue and diplomacy.

The former foreign minister said that British lawmakers had attentively heard Pakistan’s position on key issues, expressing hope that the MPs he met would play their part in supporting peace efforts in South Asia.

“Pakistan’s message is clear — we want to establish peace through dialogue and diplomacy,” Bilawal remarked.

“Peace in our region is in everyone’s best interest.”

He also pointed out the historical ties Britain shares with Pakistan and India, suggesting that the UK could play a constructive role in easing tensions, particularly over the long-standing Kashmir dispute, which he described as the “unfinished agenda of the Partition of the subcontinent.”

Bilawal stressed that the large Pakistani diaspora in Britain strongly desires peace in the region.

He argued that sustained peace in the region would unlock opportunities for Britain for economic cooperation and trade, including the revival of key transit routes across South Asia.

“If the UK wishes to benefit from the region’s trade potential, peace is a necessary condition,” he said.

“Transit routes, if activated, will bring advantages of all sorts.”

The politician also criticised India’s current political stance, accusing its leadership of promoting a narrative based on conflict and division.

“Our case for peace is strong. India’s case for war is based on lies and division,” he said. “They want to divide not just their own people but the entire region.”

“Wherever I’ve travelled, no one has said they want war. Everyone wants peace. The only person demanding war at all costs is Modi,” Bilawal added.