Washington:
Senior US Congressman Brad Sherman called for decisive action against terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed and greater protection for religious minorities in Pakistan during a meeting in Washington with a visiting Pakistani delegation led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
The meeting coincided with a parallel visit by an Indian multi-party parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is in the US to brief officials on Operation Sindoor and India’s counter-terror response following the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
Pakistan called out for supporting terror groups
Following his meeting with Bhutto Zardari, Sherman posted on social media platform X, stating, “I emphasised to the Pakistani delegation the importance of combatting terrorism, and in particular, the group Jaish-e-Mohammed, who murdered my constituent Daniel Pearl in 2002.” Pearl, a Wall Street Journal journalist, was kidnapped and killed in Pakistan. Omar Saeed Sheikh was later convicted of orchestrating the crime.
Sherman added that Pearl’s family still resides in his district and urged Pakistan to take firm steps to eliminate the terror group and ensure regional security.
US calls for release of man who helped kill Bin Laden
Sherman also urged the delegation to advocate for the release of Dr Shakil Afridi, the Pakistani physician who assisted US intelligence in locating Osama bin Laden. Afridi was arrested shortly after the 2011 raid and sentenced to 33 years in prison by a Pakistani court. He continued to remain incarcerated till date.
Sherman stated that freeing Afridi would be a meaningful gesture toward closure for the victims of the 9/11 attacks.
Concern over religious freedom in Pakistan
The US lawmaker raised strong concerns about the treatment of religious minorities in Pakistan, including Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadiyya Muslims. He underscored that these communities should be allowed to freely practise their religion and participate in the democratic process without fear of violence, discrimination, or systemic injustice.
Bhutto Zardari’s visit, which also included meetings with UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres and UN Security Council ambassadors in New York, appeared aimed at raising the Kashmir issue. However, US lawmakers focused their discussions on terrorism emanating from Pakistan and human rights concerns.
