World Peace Day: Bilawal highlights criticality of dialogue, respect for sovereignty

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, marking World Peace Day, has called for dialogue, diplomacy and respect for sovereignty as the international community grapples with the devastating consequences of the US-Iran conflict, stressing that disputes must be resolved through negotiations rather than war.

Bilawal in his statement called upon the international community to make dialogue, diplomacy, justice and respect for sovereignty the foundation of a peaceful world. He urged world leaders to give peace a genuine chance and work collectively for a world in which disputes are resolved around the negotiating table rather than on the battlefield.

Referring to the recent US-Iran conflict and Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts, the PPP Chairman said Pakistan had once again demonstrated its commitment to peace by facilitating dialogue and encouraging the parties to move towards a negotiated settlement. He said the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran had demonstrated that “dialogue is better than war” and “diplomacy is more powerful than conflict.”

He said Pakistan, having itself suffered enormously from war, terrorism and regional instability, understood the devastating human and economic costs of conflict. Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate communication between the United States and Iran reflected its consistent policy of supporting peaceful resolution of disputes.

Bilawal said the devastating conflicts in different parts of the world had demonstrated that military confrontation could not provide sustainable solutions to political disputes. He stressed that the international community must strengthen diplomatic mechanisms and resolve conflicts through negotiations rather than war.

He reiterated his earlier call for “permanent peace in South Asia”, saying that outstanding regional disputes, including the Kashmir issue, water-related issues and terrorism, should be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy rather than military confrontation.

Bilawal also expressed concern over the continuing suffering of civilians in the Middle East and called for an end to violence, protection of civilian lives and meaningful international efforts for a just and lasting peace in the region.

He said peace could not be secured through selective application of international principles. Respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, human rights and the right of peoples to self-determination must be upheld universally.

“On World Peace Day, we must remind ourselves that peace is not simply the absence of war. It requires justice, dialogue, equality and respect for human dignity. The international community must choose diplomacy over confrontation and cooperation over division.”

Bilawal said the Pakistan Peoples Party, following the legacy of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, would continue to support democratic values, peaceful coexistence and diplomatic solutions to international conflicts.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026