Under Pressure After Operation Sindoor, Bilawal Bhutto Urges Dialogue and Intel Sharing with India

New York, June 4, 2025: In a striking turn of tone, Pakistan’s former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto, now leading a delegation to the United Nations, made a public appeal for dialogue and intelligence cooperation with India amid mounting pressure following the massive setbacks Pakistan suffered during Operation Sindoor.

The plea came on the same day India’s all-party delegation, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, arrived in Washington, D.C., to further the country’s global diplomatic outreach regarding Operation Sindoor and India’s broader counterterrorism position.

Bhutto addressed a press briefing at the UN Headquarters in New York, calling for reconciliation and cooperation, stating that “diplomacy and dialogue are the only viable paths to peace.” He urged India to resume communication channels and emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to combat terrorism.

“Pakistan would still like to cooperate with India to combat terrorism. We can’t leave the fate of 1.5 billion, 1.7 billion people in the hands of non-state actors and terrorists,” Bhutto said, referencing the grave risks of escalation between two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory mission following the Pahalgam terror attack, left Pakistan’s military infrastructure severely damaged. Reports indicate that 6 PAF fighter jets, 2 high-value aircraft, over 10 UCAVs, one C-130 transport aircraft, and multiple cruise missiles were destroyed by Indian air-launched cruise missiles and SAM systems.

Bhutto’s remarks, which include an unprecedented proposal for RAW-ISI collaboration to curb terrorism in South Asia, signal a significant strategic shift.

“If ISI and RAW were ready to sit down and work together to fight these forces, we would see a significant decrease in terrorism in both India and Pakistan,” he said.

Bhutto also stressed the need for formal dispute resolution mechanisms, saying, “You can’t have no dispute resolution mechanisms between two nuclear-armed countries.”

Analysts interpret Bhutto’s conciliatory statements as an acknowledgment of Pakistan’s diplomatic and military vulnerabilities following India’s bold and globally endorsed response to the Pahalgam attack. His appeal coincides with increased global scrutiny on Pakistan’s harbouring of terror operatives and comes as India’s international narrative gains traction.