In a shocking revelation that has escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, Pakistani authorities have admitted they are “unable to arrest or identify” Masood Azhar, the notorious leader of the terrorist organization Jaish-e-Muhammad. This admission comes in the wake of India’s fierce military response to a deadly attack in April that left 26 people dead in Indian-administered Kashmir, which India has attributed to Pakistan-based extremists. The situation has reached a boiling point, with India declaring a “new red line,” indicating that any act of terror linked to Pakistan will be treated as an act of war.

The conflict has intensified since India launched a significant counterterrorism offensive in May, targeting what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan. Islamabad has vehemently denied any connection to the attack and accused India of military aggression. The two nuclear-armed neighbors have not only exchanged fire but have also engaged in a war of words, with both sides accusing each other of harboring terrorists.

In an exclusive interview on Al Jazeera, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, former Foreign Minister of Pakistan, defended his nation’s stance, insisting that Pakistan does not support terrorism. He argued that the onus is on India to provide credible evidence linking Pakistan to terrorist activities. However, the U.S. State Department has reiterated concerns about the presence of several terrorist groups operating from Pakistani soil, including Jaish-e-Muhammad.

With the specter of war looming, the international community watches closely as both nations grapple with a complex web of historical grievances and modern-day realities. The urgent need for dialogue has never been clearer, as the fate of 1.7 billion people hangs precariously in the balance, driven not by governments but by the actions of faceless non-state actors. As tensions flare, the world waits to see whether diplomacy can prevail over conflict in this volatile region.