Kumar Bahukhandi
Pakistani delegation in the US – Photo : X/@BradSherman
Brad Sherman said that Pakistan should work towards eliminating terrorist organisations. It should make every possible effort to fight terrorism in its country and also make efforts to stop atrocities against minorities.
Pakistan and its former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto were severely criticized in the US. A senior US lawmaker Brad Sherman reprimanded Bilawal. He asked Bilawal to work to eliminate Jaish-e-Mohammed. The US lawmaker asked the Pakistani delegation led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to take strict action against the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed and ensure the safety of minorities in the country.
When did the incident happen?
This incident happened when Congress member Brad Sherman was meeting the Pakistani delegation in Washington. His visit coincided with the visit of an Indian multi-party parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. The Indian delegation is in the US to brief US officials about Operation Sindoor and India’s action against terrorism after the Pahalgam attack on April 22.
‘Explained the importance of fighting terrorism to Pakistani delegation’
After meeting Bilawal Bhutto, Sherman said on the social media platform ‘X’, ‘I explained the importance of fighting terrorism to the Pakistani delegation. Especially asked them to eliminate Jaish-e-Mohammed, which killed American citizen Daniel Pearl in 2002.’ He was referring to Wall Street Journal journalist Pearl, who was kidnapped and killed by terrorists in Pakistan. In the case, Omar Saeed Sheikh was convicted for planning the crime.
‘Pakistan government should release Shakeel Afridi’
The US lawmaker pressured the Pakistani delegation to work for the release of Dr. Shakeel Afridi. Dr. Shakeel had helped US intelligence agencies locate Osama bin Laden. Sherman said, ‘Dr. Releasing Afridi is an important step for the victims of 9/11.’ Afridi was arrested after the Bin Laden raid in 2011 and was later sentenced to 33 years in prison by a Pakistani court.
Raising concerns about religious freedom
The US lawmaker expressed concern about religious freedom in Pakistan, saying, ‘Christians, Hindus and Ahmadiya Muslims living in Pakistan should be allowed to practice their religion and participate in the democratic system without fear of violence, persecution, discrimination or unequal justice system.’
