Former Pakistani Foreign Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that Pakistan has no objection to extraditing “individuals of concern” to India, provided that India is willing to participate in the legal process and present credible evidence. His remarks, made during an interview with Al Jazeera on July 5, come amid renewed scrutiny over Pakistan’s handling of terror suspects linked to attacks in India.
Bilawal was responding to a question about whether Pakistan might consider extraditing Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as part of confidence-building measures with India. He said Pakistan would not oppose such moves if they were part of a comprehensive dialogue that includes terrorism as a central issue.
“As part of a comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan, where terrorism is one of the issues that we discuss, I am sure Pakistan would not be opposed to any of these things,” he said, while simultaneously accusing India of not cooperating on its end to stop cross-border terrorism.
He further stated that Pakistan’s legal procedures require proper evidence, witness testimonies, and full participation by Indian authorities. “India is refusing to comply with certain basic elements that require that conviction to take place. It’s important to present evidence within these courts, for people to come over from India to testify,” he added.
Bilawal also commented on the status of JeM chief Masood Azhar, saying Pakistan had no knowledge of his whereabouts and suggested he might be in Afghanistan. He emphasized that Azhar would be arrested if India provided actionable intelligence confirming his presence on Pakistani soil. Azhar has been linked to several major terror attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot airbase assault, and the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing. He was designated a UN global terrorist in 2019.
On the other hand, Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, is currently serving a 33-year sentence in Pakistan for terror financing.
The remarks by Bilawal come at a time of fragile regional dynamics and ongoing debates around Pakistan’s sincerity in tackling terrorism. Indian authorities have yet to issue a formal response to his statement.
