Bilawal warns of fallout if negotiations between the US and Iran fail

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Friday that the international community “does not have a plan B”, warning of catastrophic human and economic consequences if talks between the US and Iran fail to yield results.

Pakistan is set to host what could prove to be one of the most consequential diplomatic engagements in recent history as senior leaders from the United States and Iran arrive in Islamabad for high-stakes talks following a devastating six-week war that has left thousands dead and pushed the global economy to the brink of recession.

The US delegation will be led by Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by President Donald Trump’s key Middle East envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. On the Iranian side, Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is expected to head the delegation along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior officials.

Speaking in an interview with Sky NewsBilawal said “all eyes” were on the visiting delegations, adding that the conflict had affected people in Pakistan, London, New York, the Middle East and Asia.

When asked if there was a “Plan B” if negotiations did not lead to a formal agreement during the ceasefire period, Bilawal said: “I think the international community does not have a Plan B. Our Plan A is to achieve a peaceful solution to this conflict and a more permanent peace.”

“We can sort of measure the toll of this conflict, not just in loss of life, but the economic cost borne by the people of my country and in yours, so we’re all hopeful,” he said.

He said the current ceasefire area should be built on to move towards “a more lasting, more permanent peace for the benefit of the international community”.

Read: JD Vance hopes for ‘positive’ outcome as he leaves for US-Iran talks in Islamabad

Responding to a question on Pakistan’s diplomatic role and associated challenges, Bilawal said Islamabad’s engagement was a significant achievement, adding that efforts had been underway over the past month to bring the US and Iran to a ceasefire and define the contours of continued dialogue.

However, he acknowledged that challenges remained, particularly the trust deficit between the two sides.

“However, as with diplomatic engagements and negotiations, there will be confidence-building measures that both sides will take to increase the space for dialogue and diplomacy in the pursuit of peace,” he said.

The PPP chairman said the scale of the conflict had shown that “a war of this nature, a war of this scale, is not an option”.

“The catastrophic consequences in terms of human life, as far as the economic consequences are there for all to see, and it’s up to us, it’s up to the warring parties, it’s up to all the countries that want to see this problem resolved peacefully, to push all sides to agree to that peace so that we don’t get dragged into a potentially wider course in the last month than we’ve added to the last month.”

Commenting on questions regarding speculation about a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for Pakistan’s leadership and criticism of focus on international image, Bilawal said: “The first thing I heard about Nobel Peace Prize for Pakistan is from you and this criticism about focusing on image as well.”

Also read: From Critic to Negotiator: JD Vance to Lead US Efforts in Iran Ceasefire Talks

He said Pakistan, as a neighbor of Iran and Afghanistan, had already endured decades of conflict and continued to face tensions in the region.

“We are in perpetual conflict with India. We absolutely do not want the conflict in Iran to worsen,” he said.

“The people of Pakistan cannot afford it. I would argue that people all over the world cannot afford it. It is Pakistan’s motivation that all sides achieve peace,” he added.

Bilawal further said the situation was “particularly hairy” for Pakistan economically, noting global concerns over potential economic shocks.

“So as far as the peace prize is concerned, I think Pakistan and everybody would settle for peace,” the former foreign secretary concluded.