BRUSSELS, Jun 13 (APP): A high-level Pakistan parliamentary delegation, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Member of the National Assembly and former Foreign Minister commenced its official visit to Brussels with a series of strategic engagements focused on Pakistan’s evolving regional security concerns and its principled response to recent provocations by India.
The visit forms part of Pakistan’s international outreach to present its perspective on the deteriorating South Asian security environment, exacerbated by India’s unlawful aggression, repeated violations of international law, and its unilateral decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, a move with potentially global implications for peace, stability, and treaty based international order.
In their first meeting, the delegation engaged with Bernd Lange, Chair of the Committee on International Trade (INTA) at the European Parliament.
Bhutto Zardari briefed the interlocutor on the regional security situation and the adverse implications of India’s aggressive posture for regional trade and connectivity. The meeting also covered Pakistan’s ongoing engagement under the GSP+ framework.
Bilawal Bhutto highlighted the need to insulate development and trade cooperation from destabilizing external shocks, stressing Pakistan’s commitment to constructive dialogue and mutually beneficial trade with the European Union.
The delegation met with Birgit Stevens, Director General for Bilateral Affairs at the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and discussed the strategic dimensions of bilateral ties in the current regional context.
The Pakistani side welcomed Belgium’s consistent support for multilateralism and rules-based order and encouraged closer coordination in multilateral forums on issues related to peace and security, including the need to uphold international law in South Asia.
Both sides agreed on the importance of institutional mechanisms to strengthen the bilateral relationship in a challenging global landscape.
At the Belgian Parliament, the delegation engaged with senior Belgian legislators including Kathleen Depoorter, Vice-Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Franky Demon, Chair of the Pakistan–Belgium Parliamentary Friendship Group.
The members of both Houses welcomed the visit as a timely opportunity to strengthen parliamentary exchanges. The Pakistani delegation briefed them on the grave implications of India’s recent military escalation, transboundary disinformation, and the weaponization of shared resources.
The delegation reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to countering terrorism in all its forms and underlined the urgency of addressing India’s cross-border activities and assassination plots, which pose a threat to the international rules-based system.
The day concluded with a high-level policy roundtable at the Egmont – Royal Institute for International Relations titled “South Asia at a Crossroads: Navigating Security Dynamics in a Changing Geopolitical Landscape.”
In his keynote address, Bilawal Bhutto underscored the risks posed by India’s recent military adventurism and revisionist ideology. He noted that India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty constituted a direct threat to environmental security and the integrity of global treaty regimes. He emphasized the asymmetric impacts of climate insecurity in South Asia and the need for collective responsibility while warning against the destabilizing precedent of unilateral treaty violations.
Throughout the day’s engagements, the Pakistani delegation consistently conveyed Pakistan’s approach of restraint, responsibility, and rules based dialogue. The discussions reflected Pakistan’s growing diplomatic resolve to ensure its position is clearly understood amidst intensifying regional tensions and misinformation campaigns.
Besides Bilawal Bhutto, the delegation includes Dr. Musadik Malik, Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Senator Sherry Rehman, Chairperson, Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change and former federal minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, Chairperson, National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and former foreign minister, Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan, former Minister for Commerce, Senator Syed Faisal Ali Subzwari, Parliamentary Leader of MQM in the Senate and former Minister for Maritime Affairs, Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani and Ambassador Tehmina Janjua, former foreign secretaries.