‘Political masterclass’: Bilawal showered with praise for calm response to Indian journalist

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari appeared in an online interview on India’s The Wire, conducted by seasoned journalist Karan Thapar, for which he has earned enormous praise from not only Pakistanis but people around the world, including India itself.

The former foreign minister dismissed allegations that Islamabad supports terrorist outfits to conduct cross-border attacks.

He said: “Pakistan does not willingly permit […] the groups you mentioned or any group to conduct terrorist attacks outside of Pakistan but also within Pakistan.”

Bilawal told Thapar that Pakistan itself had been a victim of terrorism for years and had lost more than 90,000 precious lives.

The world is well aware that Pakistan faced the brunt of terrorism over the past many decades, he said.

“Pakistan is fighting and has been fighting the largest inland war against terrorism. We’ve lost 92,000 lives altogether. Just last year, we lost more than 1,200 civilian lives in more than 200 different terrorist attacks.

“At the rate at which terrorist attacks are taking place just this year alone, if they continue at this pace, this year will be the bloodiest year in Pakistan’s history.”

Talking about the death of his mother, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, he said, he too was a victim of terrorism.

“I feel the pain of the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. I understand the trauma that their families are experiencing in a way more than many others can ever imagine.”

He said following the Pahalgam attack, PM Shehbaz Sharif right away stated that Pakistan is “willing to be part of any impartial international inquiry into the incident, our hands are clean.”

“We had that sort of confidence. It was the Indian government that rebuffed that offer.”

Reactions: Bilawal ‘schooled’ and ‘dismantled’ Thapar

People were pleasantly surprised by the way Bilawal handled the journalist’s allegations with his cool and calm demeanour, especially when compared to Thapar’s aggression.

Political commentator Nadeem Farooq Paracha said: “Karan Thapar lost a large chunk of his journalistic credibility when interviewing Bilawal. All he had as ‘questions’ was rhetoric moulded by the Modi regime.”

“He constantly interrupted Bilawal, and started to foam in the mouth when Bilawal kept his cool and stuck to facts. These ‘icons’ of Indian journalism are being exposed one by one. They just can’t swallow the fact that militarily and diplomatically, ‘shining India’ was delivered a swift knockout blow by Pakistan.”

Social media activist Mansoor Ahmed Qureshi said Bilawal “schooled” Thapar by saying, “We are not destined to be enemies. Let’s not damn our future generations to fight forever.”

Meanwhile PPP MNA Sharmila Faruqui said, “Bilawal Bhutto didn’t just hold his ground, he dismantled Karan Thapar, point by point. Calm, clinical, and utterly unshaken. This wasn’t an interview. It was a political masterclass.”

Journalist Farzana Shah said the PPP chairman turned tough questions into a diplomatic slamdunk, proving his grip on global affairs.

Even celebrities like Ali Zafar weighed in.

Senator Sherry Rehman praised Bilawal’s “amazing grace”.