Team Shashi Tharoor, Bilawal Bhutto To Jostle In US This Week As India And Pakistan Step Up Diplomatic Push

Riding high on a unified political front against terrorism, an Indian all-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is heading to Washington this week for engagements with US lawmakers.

The visit forms part of India's international outreach following Operation Sindoor, even as a Pakistani delegation, headed by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, prepares to present its counter-narrative to American legislators and political figures.

Photo Credit: AP, PTI

The Tharoor-led team is returning to the United States after concluding visits to Guyana, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil. The group is expected to arrive in Washington, D.C., on 3 June.

The Indian delegation includes representatives from multiple political parties: BJP MP Bhubaneshwar Kalita, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora, and former Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

Their US tour commenced on 24 May in New York, while lawmakers in Washington were away for the Memorial Day weekend.

Now set to return to Washington, the Indian delegation will meet members of the Trump administration, key Congressional committees, and several US legislators.

The primary objective is to present India's perspective on its actions following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.

Shashi Tharoor previously stated that India has made it "clear Pakistan will pay a heavier price for sponsoring terror unless it takes serious action against terrorism."

Bhutto to lead Pak delegation

Meanwhile, a nine-member Pakistani delegation led by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is also travelling to the United States. According to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, their visit begins on 2 June.

The Pakistani team comprises several former ministers and diplomats, including Hina Rabbani Khar, Sherry Rehman, Khurram Dastgir Khan, Jalil Abbas Jilani, and Tehmina Janjua.

In what appears to be a retaliatory move, the Pakistani government announced its diplomatic missions shortly after India revealed its plan to send seven all-party delegations to 33 countries to clarify the rationale behind Operation Sindoor.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry stated that its delegations would aim to explain Islamabad's perspective on what it refers to as "Indian aggression."

The Pakistani delegation is also expected to raise concerns over India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, which was halted following the 22 April attack. Pakistan has said it will press for the "immediate resumption" of the treaty's full implementation.