'Don't think it's a secret that Pakistan has a past': After Khawaja Asif, ex-minister Bilawal Bhutto makes big admission

Former Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari recently acknowledged the country's involvement with terror operatives while conceding that India's western neighbour has a "past". He further claimed that Pakistan has also suffered as a result of terrorism and has since reformed.

His statement comes almost 10 days after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people, including mostly tourists and a local ponywallah. Bhutto's confession comes days after Pakistan's incumbent defence minister Khawaja Asif admitted to Pakistan's involvement in backing and funding terrorist groups.

Speaking to Sky News, Bhutto said: “As far as what the defence minister said, 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."

He also claimed that while extremism is a part of Pakistan's history, it is not something that the country is "partaking in today." Bilawal Bhutto's admission comes after he claimed in a speech that Pakistan wanted peace but was ready for war if India provoked them.

While addressing a rally in Mirpur Khas on Thursday, he said: "Pakistan is a peaceful region, and Islam is a peaceful religion. We do not want war, but if someone attacks our Sindhu, then they should be ready for war. We don't beat the drums of war, but if provoked, the roar of a united Pakistan will be deafening."

What did Khawaja Asif exactly say? 

Last week, Asif said that Pakistan has been doing the "dirty work" for the US and the West, including the UK, for approximately 3 decades.

While replying to a question on whether Pakistan has a long history of supporting, training, and funding terrorist organisations, Asif told Sky News: "We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades, you know and the West, including Britain."

During the same interview, he claimed that Pakistan's track record on terror would have been spotless had it not participated in the war against the Soviet Union in the 1980s and the war on terror after the 9/11 attacks.

The statements of Bhutto and Asif seem to confirm New Delhi's allegations that Pakistan has "fingerprints" on terrorist incidents globally.