Pakistan’s latest outreach to Washington, led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, was meant to counter India’s global campaign to expose Islamabad’s role in cross-border terrorism. But it backfired. What unfolded was a series of public embarrassments — from being scolded by US lawmakers, to being fact-checked by a journalist at the UN, and being completely ignored on key agenda items like the Indus Waters Treaty.

After India announced a cross-party delegation to multiple countries to build consensus against Pakistani terrorism, Islamabad rushed to mount a smaller, reactive mission focused on the United States. The aim was to challenge India’s narrative, whitewash Pakistan’s use of terror as state policy, and project itself instead as a victim of terrorism.

But the strategy was flawed. The facts were on India’s side, not Pakistan’s. What followed was a series of public relations disasters for Islamabad.

Let’s start with US Congressman Brad Sherman. Having met the Pakistani delegation, Islamabad expected support. Instead, Sherman publicly demanded on X (formerly Twitter) that Pakistan eliminate Jaish-e-Mohammed — the terror group responsible for the brutal 2002 murder of journalist Daniel Pearl, who was Sherman’s own constituent.

“Pakistan should do all it can to eliminate this vile group and combat terrorism in the region," Sherman posted. This wasn’t a private remark — it was a public rebuke.

But Sherman didn’t stop there. He raised the continued imprisonment of Dr Shakil Afridi — the physician who helped the US locate Osama Bin Laden. “Freeing Dr Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11," he said.

On water disputes, Sherman made an even more telling........

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