Washington D.C.: Pakistan’s diplomatic pitch in Washington took a sharp blow as US Congressman Brad Sherman openly called out Islamabad’s support for terrorist groups and urged former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to take decisive action against the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM)—a group globally designated as a terrorist organization.
In a no-holds-barred meeting with the visiting Pakistani delegation, Sherman made it clear: “Pakistan must do all it can to eliminate Jaish-e-Mohammad,” the same group responsible for the 2002 murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl.
Sharing the anguish of the Pearl family—who reside in his congressional district—Sherman took to X (formerly Twitter) to underscore his firm stance.
“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,” Sherman wrote.
“Pakistan should do all it can to eliminate this vile group and combat terrorism in the region.”
The comments come against the backdrop of increasing international scrutiny over Pakistan’s handling of terror outfits, especially after its Army Chief Asim Munir’s controversial remarks supporting the ‘Two-Nation Theory’, a doctrine India considers inflammatory. Not long after, India witnessed a brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam, intensifying diplomatic tensions.
But Sherman didn’t stop at terrorism. He also brought attention to the plight of religious minorities in Pakistan, demanding equal rights and protection for Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadiyya Muslims, often subjected to persecution, discrimination, and violence under the country’s blasphemy laws and mob culture.
Adding fuel to the fire, the Congressman reiterated his call for the release of Dr. Shakil Afridi, the Pakistani physician who assisted the CIA in locating Osama bin Laden.
“Freeing Dr Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11,” Sherman declared.
Afridi, once hailed as a hero in the West, was sentenced to 33 years in prison by a Pakistani court in 2012, shortly after the U.S. Navy SEAL operation that killed the Al-Qaeda leader in Abbottabad.
This rare direct confrontation by an American lawmaker signals a toughening stance in Washington regarding Pakistan’s controversial domestic and regional policies—especially its ambiguous approach to terror networks.
