Brigadier Inderjeet Singh Chugh has strongly condemned former Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto’s recent remarks on Pakistan’s history with terrorism, calling out what he described as Islamabad’s double standards and a clear U-turn under international pressure.

Chugh highlighted that Bhutto, who previously admitted Pakistan’s role in training and funding terrorists and even threatened India with atomic weapons, is now backtracking by claiming that Pakistan has suffered from extremism, learned its lessons, and reformed its policies due to the damage caused to its own country.

Chugh emphasized that Bhutto’s shifting narrative appears to be a result of mounting pressure from the United States and other Western countries, which had previously encouraged Pakistan’s involvement in regional conflicts.

According to Chugh, this pressure has forced Pakistani leaders to publicly acknowledge their past while simultaneously attempting to distance themselves from ongoing support for extremist elements.

Bilawal Bhutto’s recent interview with Sky News’s Yalda Hakim, where he stated, “I don’t think it is a secret that Pakistan has a past... As a result, we have suffered, Pakistan has suffered. We have gone through wave after wave of extremism.

But as a result of what we suffered, we also learned our lessons. We have gone through internal reforms to address this problem,” has drawn sharp reactions in India. Bhutto further claimed, “As far as Pakistan’s history is concerned, it is history and it is not something that we are partaking in today. It is indeed an unfortunate part of our history”.

Chugh and other Indian commentators have pointed out the inconsistency in Pakistan’s stance, noting that while Bhutto and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif have both recently admitted to Pakistan’s past involvement with terror groups, they simultaneously continue to issue aggressive statements towards India and deny current involvement.

At a rally in Mirpur Khas, Bhutto reiterated that Pakistan desires peace but would respond forcefully if provoked by India, further muddying the waters regarding Islamabad’s current position on terrorism.

Chugh’s criticism comes in the context of heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists. India has cited these admissions by Pakistani leaders as evidence of Islamabad’s long-standing policy of supporting cross-border terrorism, leading to diplomatic measures such as the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and scaling back of diplomatic staff.

Brigadier Inderjeet Singh Chugh’s remarks underscore Indian skepticism about Pakistan’s claims of reform, highlighting what he sees as a pattern of denial, admission under pressure, and continued rhetorical aggression. The recent statements by Bhutto and other Pakistani officials have been interpreted in India as attempts to placate international criticism while maintaining a hardline stance domestically.

ANI