In the aftermath of a significant military setback against India, Pakistan, under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has embarked on an urgent and broad-based diplomatic campaign to restore its international standing and counter India’s narrative following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

This attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians—mostly tourists—was blamed by India on the Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammed, prompting a forceful military response from India, including precision strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC) and deep into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan’s subsequent retaliatory attempts were repelled, with India maintaining air superiority until hostilities ceased on May 10 after high-level military talks restored a fragile calm along the LoC.

Reacting to India’s own extensive diplomatic outreach—where seven Indian parliamentary delegations visited 33 countries to present evidence of Pakistan’s support for terrorism—Pakistan has launched two simultaneous diplomatic missions to key global capitals. The primary nine-member delegation, led by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and comprising experienced politicians and ex-diplomats, is visiting New York, Washington DC, London, and Brussels. Another team, headed by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi, has been dispatched to Moscow.

The stated aim of these missions, according to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, is to “project Pakistan’s perspective on the recent Indian aggression” and to advocate for dialogue over confrontation. The delegations are engaging with international institutions, think tanks, diaspora groups, and key government officials to press Pakistan’s point of view and to highlight the necessity of resuming dialogue, including the normal functioning of the Indus Waters Treaty.

Despite these efforts, Pakistan’s diplomatic push has produced limited tangible results. Attempts to rally international support, including leveraging Islamic solidarity to derail Indian delegations in countries like Malaysia, have largely failed. The Indian parliamentary teams, representing a cross-section of political parties, successfully carried out their missions, encountering strong condemnation of terrorism and broad support for India’s narrative in every country visited.

On global platforms, Pakistan has seen little movement. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has not advanced any new sanctions against Pakistan, which remains on the grey list, and India’s push for blacklisting has not progressed. The G7 has refrained from issuing a coordinated condemnation of Pakistan, with only generic statements against terrorism being made by some members. Notably, India was not invited to the G7 summit for the first time in five years, a decision clouded by strained India-Canada relations.

Pakistan is set to chair the Taliban Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council in 2025 and will serve as vice-chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, roles that could provide Islamabad with some diplomatic leverage. Meanwhile, Pakistan has also moved to upgrade its diplomatic representation with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, signalling a broader regional recalibration.

Indian officials returning from their diplomatic missions described the global response as one of “unequivocal condemnation” of the Pahalgam terror attack and “broad support” for India’s position. They emphasised international unity against terrorism, recognition of India’s restrained and targeted military response, and a demand for further action by FATF against Pakistan. The Indian delegations also noted that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was stabilizing, with normalcy returning to the region.

Pakistan’s last-ditch diplomatic push, following its military setback, underscores the shift from battlefield confrontation to a contest for international opinion. While Islamabad seeks to reframe the narrative and advocate for dialogue, its efforts have so far met with limited success, as India’s own diplomatic campaign has garnered considerable international support and reinforced the pressure on Pakistan to act against cross-border terrorism.

Based On A NDTV Report