Bilawal Bhutto admitted that the genesis of jihad originated from Pakistan's soil. He held General Zia-ul-Haq responsible for the 'Jihadification' and said that Pakistani society was radicalized for the Afghanistan war.
Pakistan: Former Foreign Minister of Pakistan and Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has once again made a significant statement regarding the nation's past. He openly admitted that jihad originated from the land of Pakistan, and this was all done under a planned strategy. He clearly stated that he doesn't want to run away from the past but wants to confront it.
Terrorist organizations linked to the Afghanistan jihad
In an interview with senior journalist Karan Thapar, Bilawal Bhutto said that all major terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaeda, were associated with the Afghanistan jihad. When the war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan ended, these very organizations later carried out terrorist attacks like 9/11. Some groups turned towards Kashmir and attempted to launch jihad there.
Blamed Pakistani dictator Zia-ul-Haq
Bilawal Bhutto has made a serious allegation against the former military ruler of Pakistan, General Zia-ul-Haq. He said that the process of 'Jihadification' in Pakistan began during the tenure of Zia-ul-Haq. This was all done with the consent of the United States and the international community to fight against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
'Pakistani society was radicalized'
Bhutto admitted that many groups and individuals in Pakistan were prepared for jihad in Afghanistan with international support. This was done with a strategic objective. He said that this is a part of history and cannot be denied.
Terrorist organizations sent to Kashmir
Bilawal said that after the end of the war in Afghanistan, some terrorist organizations turned towards Kashmir. At that time, there were some people in Pakistan who did not oppose these groups. This was the reason why terrorism took root in the region.
Bilawal also spoke about Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar
He also mentioned Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba. He said that a Pakistani court had sentenced Hafiz Saeed to 31 years in prison in April 2022 on charges of terrorism financing. Regarding Masood Azhar, the chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed, Bilawal said that if India cooperates in this process, Pakistan is ready to hand over such individuals.
'India should give assurance'
In an interview with Al Jazeera TV last week, Bilawal had also talked about confidence-building measures with India. He had said that India should trust Pakistan and that if both countries cooperate, there would be no problem in handing over such terrorist masterminds to India.
Blamed India for the Mumbai attacks
Talking about the Mumbai terrorist attacks, Bilawal said that Pakistan has taken action against Hafiz Saeed. But India did not show interest in presenting the necessary witnesses and evidence for the investigation in this case. He said that if India had participated responsibly in this process, further action would have been easier.
Called the Pahalgam attack a terrorist attack
Bilawal Bhutto termed the recent Pahalgam attack a 'terrorist attack'. He said that he himself has been a victim of terrorism and that he understands the pain that the victims' families go through. He also recalled that his mother, Benazir Bhutto, was also assassinated by terrorists.
Clarified on 'Today's terrorists, tomorrow's heroes'
When Karan Thapar mentioned his father Asif Ali Zardari's statement that 'today's terrorists were tomorrow's heroes', Bilawal expressed displeasure. He said that the past cannot be denied, but we should not ignore the present by getting entangled in the past.
We have suffered the pain of terrorism
Bilawal said that Pakistan has paid the price of terrorism. He claimed that Pakistan has lost 92,000 people to terrorism so far. He himself has also faced it personally. He said that now Pakistan should move out of extremism and move towards peace.
