From Denial To Drama: Pakistan Finally Owns Up To Its Terrorist Ties

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has admitted that Pakistan's historical ties to terrorist groups have had serious ramifications for the country. In an interview with Sky News on Thursday, Bilawal noted that Pakistan has seen recurring waves of extremism due to its history, but that lessons have been learnt and changes have been enacted.

"It's no secret that Pakistan has a history... As a result, we and Pakistan have suffered. We've been through wave after wave of fanaticism. However, our suffering taught us valuable things. "We have implemented internal reforms to address this issue," Bilawal stated.

His words came shortly after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif admitted in a separate interview with Hakim that, "We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades... and the West, including Britain..." "That was a mistake, and we suffered for it.

Bilawal, echoing Asif's words, clarified, "As far as Pakistan's history is concerned, it is history, and we are not participating in it today. It is true that it is an awful period in our history."

On the same day, Bilawal addressed a rally in Mirpur Khas, where he also discussed Pakistan's strained relations with India. "Pakistan is a peaceful nation, and Islam is a peaceful faith. We do not desire war, but if someone strikes our Sindhu, they must be prepared for it. "We don't beat the drums of war, but if provoked, the roar of a united Pakistan will be deafening," he warned supporters.

India responds strongly to Pakistan's admissions.

India has long decried Pakistan's participation in terror financing and assistance for extremist groups, frequently bringing up the topic at the United Nations and other international forums.

In response to Khawaja Asif's public confession, India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Yojna Pate, remarked, "The entire world has heard Pakistan's Defence Minister Khwaja Asif admitting to and confessing Pakistan's history of sponsoring, training, and paying terrorist organisations. This candid confession shocks no one and exposes Pakistan as a rogue state that fuels global terrorism and destabilises the region. The world can no longer keep a blind eye."

She went on to say that India is still a "victim of cross-border terrorism" and blamed Pakistan directly for the current regional insecurity. Her statements come after a terrible terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that murdered 26 tourists, heightening tensions between the two countries.