May 11, 2025

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party and Former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has characterized India's recent military strikes on Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir as an "unprovoked deliberate act of war," in an exclusive interview with Sky News.

Former Foreign Minister, offered a forceful response to the escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

"Let us be absolutely clear. This was an unprovoked deliberate act of war by India who launched missile, drone and air strikes into Pakistani territory," Bilawal Bhutto told Sky News. He added that Pakistan had been "on the receiving end of belligerent threats by the Indian government" over the past two weeks.

The interview came shortly after reports emerged of Pakistani forces downing five Indian aircraft during the overnight assault. Bilawal Bhutto confirmed this, stating: "So far, the Pakistan armed forces have acted bravely and with precision in self-defense during these attacks. We downed five Indian aircraft."

He expressed particular concern about the nature of India's targets, claiming they were directed at civilian areas. "India's attacks took place in Pakistani territory targeting cities where innocent civilians live, civilian infrastructure including a dam," he said.

The former foreign minister began the interview by offering condolences "to the victims, to the families of those martyred in this late night cowardly attack by Indian forces, to the men, women, and children who have died."

When asked about potential Pakistani retaliation, Bilawal Bhutto affirmed that "Pakistan reserves the right under the UN charter to respond." He elaborated that his country reserves the right to respond "at a time of its choosing, at a place of its choosing and through whatever means it chooses to do so," though he declined to speculate on specific military plans.

This statement aligns with the official position of Pakistan's government and armed forces, which have authorized "corresponding actions" in response to the Indian strikes.

During the interview, Bilawal Bhutto vehemently rejected claims that the Indian strikes had targeted terrorist elements:

"This is absolute fiction. It has been rebuffed. Fake news," Bilawal Bhutto insisted. "India has manufactured a lie of a baseless accusation against Pakistan."

He questioned why India had not agreed to Pakistan's offer for an impartial investigation if there was any truth to their claims. "Why did they not wait for the international journalists who were already visiting these alleged sites to come up with their response?" he asked.

Throughout the interview, Bilawal Bhutto repeatedly emphasized Pakistan's call for an independent inquiry into the original terrorist attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir that precipitated the current crisis.

"Pakistan has repeatedly called and continues to call for an impartial inquiry. We do so because our hands are clean. We were not involved in this attack. We condemn this attack from the outset," he stated, adding that Pakistan remains ready for "a neutral impartial inquiry into the terrorist attack that took place in Indian occupied Kashmir."

The former foreign minister acknowledged responses from the international community, including statements from U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish officials. He emphasized that "India has once again endangered the peace not only in South Asia but in the region and of the world," suggesting there is "a role for the international community to play to ensure that this situation doesn't keep festering itself."

Bilawal Bhutto argued that an impartial investigation could create a framework not just for addressing the current crisis but also for handling any future terrorist incidents between the two countries.

"Do Pakistan and India want non-state actors, want terrorists to be those who decide the fate of the populations of both our countries?" he asked rhetorically, suggesting that establishing a mechanism for neutral inquiries could prevent future escalations triggered by terrorist actions.