Bilawal Bhutto-led Pakistani delegation meets US lawmakers, will get an earful over Jaish-e-Mohammed

Senior US Congressman Brad Sherman referred to as for decisive motion towards terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed and higher safety for non secular minorities in Pakistan throughout a gathering in Washington with a visiting Pakistani delegation led by former international minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

The assembly coincided with a parallel go to by an Indian multi-party parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who’s within the US to temporary officers on Operation Sindoor and India’s counter-terror response following the April 22 Pahalgam assault.

Pakistan referred to as out for supporting terror teams

Following his assembly with Bhutto Zardari, Sherman posted on social media platform X, stating, “I emphasised to the Pakistani delegation the significance of combatting terrorism, and specifically, the group Jaish-e-Mohammed, who murdered my constituent Daniel Pearl in 2002.” Pearl, a Wall Avenue Journal journalist, was kidnapped and killed in Pakistan. Omar Saeed Sheikh was later convicted of orchestrating the crime.

Sherman added that Pearl’s household nonetheless resides in his district and urged Pakistan to take agency steps to get rid of the phobia group and guarantee regional safety.

US requires launch of man who helped kill Bin Laden

Sherman additionally urged the delegation to advocate for the discharge of Dr Shakil Afridi, the Pakistani doctor who assisted US intelligence in finding Osama bin Laden. Afridi was arrested shortly after the 2011 raid and sentenced to 33 years in jail by a Pakistani courtroom. He continued to stay incarcerated until date.

Sherman acknowledged that releasing Afridi can be a significant gesture towards closure for the victims of the 9/11 assaults.

Concern over non secular freedom in Pakistan

The US lawmaker raised sturdy considerations in regards to the therapy of non secular minorities in Pakistan, together with Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadiyya Muslims. He underscored that these communities must be allowed to freely practise their faith and take part within the democratic course of with out worry of violence, discrimination, or systemic injustice.

Bhutto Zardari’s go to, which additionally included conferences with UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres and UN Safety Council ambassadors in New York, appeared geared toward elevating the Kashmir challenge. Nonetheless, US lawmakers centered their discussions on terrorism emanating from Pakistan and human rights considerations.