PTI, PPP trade barbs over Bilawal ‘CBM offer’ to India

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Peoples Party on Saturday exchanged barbs over Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s interview in which he discussed Pakistan-India affairs.

The PTI denounced what it described as Bilawal’s appeasing offer to extradite Pakistani citizens to India under the guise of a so-called confidence-building measure (CBM).

In a statement, PTI Information Secretary Waqas Akram termed this move an act of being submissive and adopting apologetic stance, and that too to a country that remained actively engaged in state-sponsored terrorism, espionage and subversive activities against Pakistan.

The party spokesman emphasised that it was imperative to ask Bilawal on whose behalf he issued such a statement and what he intended to achieve by platforms.

He remarked, “We fail to understand why Bilawal is so keen on appeasing India, as he is proving time and again that he lacked political wisdom, vision and understanding of regional geopolitics. Instead of holding India accountable for its continued aggression, water terrorism and cross-border interference, he regretted that PPP leader was proposing CBMs that compromise Pakistan’s sovereignty and integrity.

He criticised Bilawal’s ‘flip-flop’ from threatening India with war to begging for peace, saying the PPP chairman became a symbol of inconsistency, confusion and contradiction in Pakistan’s foreign policy discourse.

Bilawal, he alleged, is betraying the legacy of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto by pursuing political gains at the expense of Kashmiri blood. Waqas said that leaders were born, not made through makeup and forced media appearances.

Waqas cautioned against any covert or overt attempts to destabilise the democratically elected PTI government in the province. He vowed that his party would resist any such move tooth and nail, as the people of the province have given their mandate to them. PTI spokesman reminded the centre of the disastrous consequences of past military operations in the tribal areas, which brought nothing but destruction, displacement and resentment among tribal people.

Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Spokesperson Shazia Marri has strongly condemned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) criticism of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s recent interview with Al-Jazeera, calling it a desperate attempt to score cheap political points. “Bilawal Bhutto Zardari spoke with the responsibility and clarity expected of a national leader. His interview reflected a principled stance on regional peace, counterterrorism, and Pakistan’s foreign policy priorities,” she said while talking to The News ion Saturday.

The PPP spokesperson also accused PTI of echoing narratives aligned with Indian media. “It’s unfortunate that PTI and Indian media seem to be speaking the same language,” she remarked, adding that Bilawal’s statements were being deliberately misinterpreted by those who had themselves failed to safeguard national sovereignty while in office. She described PTI’s reaction as not only misleading but symptomatic of a party that routinely politicises foreign policy for domestic gain. “This is the same PTI whose reckless rhetoric and isolationist approach seriously damaged Pakistan’s international standing. They lack the moral authority to criticise someone who has consistently advocated for responsible diplomacy,” she added.

Marri emphasised that as foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari played a vital role in restoring Pakistan’s global image, strengthening bilateral relationships, and presenting the country’s narrative on international platforms with maturity and vision. “Whether it was climate diplomacy, countering Islamophobia, or restarting regional dialogue, Bilawal Bhutto represented the aspirations of the Pakistani people with dignity,” she said.