US Lawmaker Asks Pakistan to Eliminate Jaish-e-Mohammed, Protect Minorities

Washington: A senior US lawmaker has asked a visiting Pakistani delegation, led by PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, to take strong action against the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed and to ensure the protection of religious minorities in Pakistan.

The meeting took place during the Pakistani delegation’s visit to the United States, which coincided with the presence of an Indian parliamentary team led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. The Indian delegation is in Washington to brief officials on India’s recent counter-terror operation, ‘Operation Sindoor’, and the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people.

US Congressman Brad Sherman said he specifically raised the issue of terrorism with the Pakistani side, stressing the need to act against Jaish-e-Mohammed, the group responsible for the murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.

“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,” Sherman said in a post on social media platform X.

Daniel Pearl, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was kidnapped and killed in Pakistan. Omar Saeed Sheikh was convicted in the case.

Sherman said, “Pakistan should do all it can to eliminate this vile group and combat terrorism in the region.”

The US lawmaker also expressed concern about the rights of minorities in Pakistan. He urged the visiting Pakistani officials to ensure safety and equal rights for Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadiyya Muslims, who often face discrimination and violence in the country.

“They must be allowed to practice their faith and participate in the democratic system without fear of persecution or an unequal justice system,” Sherman said.

He also called for the release of Dr Shakil Afridi, who helped the US in locating Osama bin Laden. Afridi has been in jail in Pakistan since 2011. “Freeing Dr Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11,” the US Congressman said.

While India’s delegation is presenting evidence against Pakistan’s support to terror groups and briefing US lawmakers on the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan’s visit appears to be backfiring. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his team aimed to raise the Kashmir issue and talk peace, but ended up being questioned about terrorism on their own soil.

Bhutto’s delegation also met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN Security Council ambassadors in New York before coming to Washington.