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- Head of the Pakistani delegation Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari says he is 鈥榮addened鈥� to hear about the tragic incident
- India, Pakistan dispatched officials to world capitals to press their cases following a military confrontation in May
KARACHI: The head of Pakistan鈥檚 delegation visiting world capitals to present Islamabad鈥檚 position on a recent military standoff with New Delhi on Thursday expressed condolences over an Indian plane crash involving 242 people after his team arrived in Brussels to hold meetings.
The Air India flight bound for London crashed minutes after takeoff from the western Indian city of Ahmedabad earlier in the day, according to the airline and local police.
Rescuers work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state on June 12, 2025. (AP)
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether there were any fatalities in the flight that was en route to Gatwick Airport before it crashed in a civilian area near the airport.
鈥淪addened to hear a tragic incident occurred earlier today,鈥� Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, a former Pakistani foreign minister, said in a social media post on X. 鈥淲here an Air India flight with approximately 240 passengers crashed shortly after takeoff near Ahmedabad, India. I express my profound condolences to the people of India.鈥�
Pakistan and India have launched parallel diplomatic offensives around the world following their worst military confrontation in decades that saw an exchange of missile, drone and artillery strikes between the nuclear-armed neighbors before the US and other allies brokered a ceasefire on May 10.
The Pakistani delegation has already visited the United States and the United Kingdom before arriving in Belgium.
鈥淧akistan鈥檚 diplomatic mission led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has reached Brussels, the European Union headquarters, after successful visits to Washington, New York and London,鈥� Radio Pakistan said in its report on Thursday. 鈥淭he parliamentary delegation will inform the European authorities about India鈥檚 anti-Pakistan intentions and aggressive actions.鈥�
It added the Pakistani delegation will also meet leading European think tanks and international media representatives.
Presenting Pakistan鈥檚 position on the recent tensions with India and highlighting the importance of resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions are key items on the agenda.
Pakistan criticized Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar a day earlier for delivering 鈥渂ellicose punchlines鈥� during his Brussels visit that took place shortly before the arrival of Islamabad鈥檚 delegation in the city.
The Indian minister had asserted New Delhi reserved the right to target Pakistan following a militant attack.