Pakistan’s diplomatic campaign in the US against India.
The Dawn newspaper reported that a high-level Pakistani delegation, comprising two former foreign ministers, two former secretaries general of the foreign ministry, two former ambassadors to the US and a current federal minister, arrived in New York on Sunday for extensive consultations. The members of the delegation include Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Hina Rabbani Khar, Senator Sherry Rehman and other prominent Pakistani political and diplomatic figures.
In New York, the delegation will meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the President of the General Assembly, ambassadors of the five permanent members of the Security Council and representatives of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. They are also scheduled to meet senior US officials, including the US Secretary of State, lawmakers and prominent media figures.
The main focus of the diplomatic campaign is to present Pakistan’s security concerns about India’s provocative actions in the region. A senior Pakistani diplomat described the efforts as part of a two-track strategy that includes both formal and informal engagements.
While the Pakistani delegation is engaged in consultations in the United States, an Indian delegation led by Shashi Tharoor, a representative of the Indian Congress Party, has also traveled to Washington for consultations.
Pakistan is concerned that India is rapidly framing the regional crisis in a way that will mobilize institutions such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the United Nations against Islamabad. Pakistani officials have stressed that the pressure, after extensive reforms in 2022, has no technical basis and is purely political.
Senator Shree Rehman, a member of the delegation, has said that Pakistan will respond to India’s allegations in a detailed and documented manner and will not allow false narratives to replace the truth.