In a stunning and controversial admission, former Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto has acknowledged his country's historical involvement with terrorist organisations, stating bluntly that "Pakistan has a past" when it comes to backing extremist elements. This startling confession comes amid soaring tensions between India and Pakistan, particularly following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The fallout from the attack has already prompted India to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a significant development in bilateral relations.

Speaking to Sky News journalist Yalda Hakim, Bhutto offered what some observers have described as a rare moment of candour from a top Pakistani leader on the global stage. “As far as what the defence minister said, I don’t think it is a secret that Pakistan has a past,” Bhutto stated, referring to earlier comments made by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif. “We have suffered; Pakistan has suffered. We have gone through wave after wave of extremism... but we have also learnt our lessons and undergone internal reforms,” he added.

Bhutto clarified that while Pakistan’s involvement with terror may be part of its past, it is no longer engaging in such practices today. However, he conceded that the country’s history of dealing with extremist forces was “unfortunate” and remains a stain on its international image.

Khawaja Asif’s Explosive Admission

Just days prior to Bhutto’s statement, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif made international headlines by publicly acknowledging Islamabad’s long-standing cooperation with Western nations in “dirty work” involving extremist factions. Speaking during a televised interview, Asif remarked:
“We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about 3 decades and the West, including Britain.”

Asif blamed Pakistan’s current predicament on its involvement in global conflicts like the Soviet-Afghan War and the post-9/11 campaign, suggesting that had Pakistan stayed out of these entanglements, its international reputation would have been “unimpeachable.”

His statements are being interpreted as a confession of state-sponsored terrorism, and they have triggered widespread criticism from both domestic analysts and foreign observers.

A Threat That Could Worsen Relations

What is perhaps even more alarming is the threatening language used by Bilawal Bhutto against India following New Delhi’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty after the Pahalgam terror attack. During a public rally in Sukkur, Sindh, Bhutto is reported to have said:
“The Indus is ours and will remain ours – either our water will flow through it, or their blood.”

This incendiary statement has drawn strong condemnation across India and from international diplomatic circles. Experts fear that such rhetoric may further aggravate the already tense Indo-Pak situation, especially with elections and heightened military vigilance in both nations.

Implications for India-Pakistan Relations

The India-Pakistan relationship has always been fragile, but it has entered a new low in recent months, particularly after repeated ceasefire violations and terror-related incidents. The Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of Indian security personnel, was the final straw that led India to halt the Indus Waters Treaty, a move with serious geopolitical and environmental implications.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has not officially responded to Bhutto’s latest comments, but senior officials are reportedly considering diplomatic measures to highlight Pakistan’s own admissions of supporting terrorism at global forums like the United Nations and Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Reactions from Global and Domestic Circles

International reactions to Bhutto and Asif’s confessions have been swift. Observers in Washington, London, and Brussels have flagged the statements as confirmation of Pakistan’s historical role in harboring terrorist elements.
In India, political leaders across party lines have used the opportunity to attack the Pakistani establishment, calling it a “rogue state” that cannot be trusted.

Indian security analysts have highlighted that these admissions can be used to press for greater international sanctions on Pakistan, especially at a time when the country is battling economic turmoil and rising domestic instability.

Bilawal’s Political Motives Questioned

Some analysts believe Bhutto’s comments could be part of a larger political strategy to reposition himself within Pakistan’s complex power dynamics. As a scion of the Bhutto-Zardari political dynasty, Bilawal has often oscillated between progressive posturing and nationalist rhetoric. His aggressive statement regarding the Indus Waters Treaty might be designed to appeal to nationalist sentiments in rural Pakistan, especially as elections loom on the horizon.

However, by simultaneously acknowledging Pakistan’s terror-linked past and issuing threats to India, Bhutto risks sending mixed signals to both domestic and international stakeholders.

Legacy of State-Sponsored Terrorism

This moment serves as a stark reminder of Pakistan’s historical strategy of using terrorism as a tool of foreign policy. For decades, global think tanks and intelligence agencies have pointed to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as a key backer of groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and others. These groups have been implicated in high-profile attacks such as the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and several cross-border incursions in Kashmir.

While successive Pakistani governments have denied formal support for such entities, leaks, intelligence reports, and now admissions from top politicians have painted a damning picture of systematic state support for extremist elements.

Conclusion: A Diplomatic Crossroads

With Bilawal Bhutto’s admission and Khawaja Asif’s corroboration, Pakistan’s global credibility faces a serious challenge. More importantly, the threat to India over the Indus Waters Treaty marks a dangerous shift from passive aggression to open verbal hostility, particularly at a time when diplomatic backchannels between India and Pakistan remain largely frozen.

This sequence of events will likely be used by India to strengthen its diplomatic campaign against Pakistan on the international stage. Whether this will lead to a new round of sanctions, international condemnation, or heightened military preparedness remains to be seen.

In the meantime, South Asia stands at a geopolitical tipping point, where rhetoric, history, and regional power plays are once again pushing the subcontinent to the brink of another potential conflict.

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