Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has taken India’s narrative against Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism up an ante, with the leader delivering fiery statements against Islamabad and catching the world’s attention. In his final showdown before his all-party delegation returns, Tharoor will face Pakistan’s Bilawal Bhutto, who will also be in the US to convey his country’s version about the ongoing conflict with India.
Pakistan’s Former Foreign Minister Bhutto’s visit to the US coincides with Tharoor’s last phase of the global outreach tour. Both leaders will be in Washington, DC, on Wednesday with their respective delegations. Both groups are aiming to engage with American political leaders and lawmakers to rally support for their respective national interests.
Shashi Tharoor noted that the simultaneous presence of both delegations in Washington, DC, could heighten interest, as it would allow the US to hear opposing perspectives, possibly in real time.
“In Washington, we’ll have the interesting phenomenon of the Pakistani delegation in America, and almost exactly the same days…Tomorrow they will be in Washington, while we are in Washington on the same date. So, there’s going to be perhaps an increase in interest because there are two duelling delegations in the same city,” he told ANI.
“It’s a challenging environment. America is a very crowded media space, the world’s news generator. Therefore, our story may not be at the top of their minds. But if we can get the attention of those who care about South Asia, those who care about India, those who care about terrorism, we can get our message across very, very easily,” he added.
Impact Shorts
View AllOn Monday, Tharoor took a swipe at China for supporting Pakistan’s call to shield the names of terrorist organisations at the UN Security Council, while reminding the delegation in Brazil that India’s Operation Sindoor was a retaliation for terrorism.