New Delhi: Senior US Congressman Brad Sherman on Friday told a Pakistani delegation led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari that Islamabad must “do all it can” to eliminate the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and ensure protection for religious minorities within the country.
The Pakistani delegation met Sherman on Thursday during their visit to Washington, coinciding with a separate Indian multi-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. The Indian side is in the US capital to brief American lawmakers and officials on Operation Sindoor and the country’s resolve to fight terrorism after the deadly Pahalgam attack.
‘Importance of combatting terrorism’
In a series of posts on X, Congressman Sherman wrote: “I emphasized 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’s family continues to live in my district, and Pakistan should do all it can to eliminate this vile group and combat terrorism in the region.”
Jaish-e-Mohammed, a UN-designated terror group, was responsible for the kidnapping and beheading of Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl in Karachi in 2002. British-born terrorist Omar Saeed Sheikh was convicted for orchestrating the killing.
Sherman also raised concerns about Pakistan’s treatment of religious minorities. “Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadiyya Muslims living in Pakistan must be allowed to practise their faith and participate in the democratic system without fear of violence, persecution, discrimination, or an unequal justice system,” he said.
‘Release Dr Shakil Afridi’
The US lawmaker also urged the Pakistani delegation to press for the release of Dr Shakil Afridi, the physician who helped the CIA track down Osama bin Laden in 2011 by running a fake vaccination drive to collect DNA samples of Laden’s family. Afridi was arrested shortly after the Abbottabad raid and later sentenced to 33 years in prison.
“Freeing Dr Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11,” Sherman said.
While the visit by Bhutto’s delegation was aimed at internationalising the Kashmir dispute the lawmaker’s message remained clear — Pakistan must take credible action against terrorism emanating from its soil.
