During his ongoing US visit, former Pakistan Foreign Minister and PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has stirred a diplomatic storm once again. In Washington, he repeated a familiar narrative—blaming the United States for Taliban resurgence and presenting Pakistan as a victim of America’s chaotic exit from Afghanistan.

But this time, his statements are not only inflaming tensions with Kabul—they’re also drawing sharp criticism for ignoring Pakistan’s own hand in nurturing extremism.

“America Left a Mess” – Bilawal’s Loaded Claim

Speaking in Washington, Bilawal accused the US of mishandling its withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying:

“The weapons America left behind have empowered terrorists. Now Pakistan’s police and soldiers are forced to confront them.”

While Bilawal called for international cooperation against terrorism, he remained silent on Islamabad’s decades-long support for radical groups, a policy often blamed for fueling the very instability he now decries.

Afghanistan Hits Back: “Pakistan’s Hypocrisy is the Real Threat”

Afghan political analyst Mohammad Zalmai Afghan Yar offered a stinging rebuttal, accusing Pakistan of playing the victim while quietly enabling militants.

“Pakistan is threatening others while hiding its own role. Afghanistan is trying to focus on development—can Pakistan do the same? Or will it continue to destabilize the region with America’s backing?”

Such reactions suggest that Bilawal’s comments may once again derail fragile attempts at reconciliation between Kabul and Islamabad.

A New Chapter Already Closing?

Recently, both countries had shown signs of mending ties, with full ambassadors reinstated. But Bilawal’s statements may have undermined this diplomatic progress, reinforcing Kabul’s long-standing suspicion that Pakistan speaks peace publicly but fuels instability behind the scenes.

The Taliban, while yet to issue an official response, have in the past warned Pakistan that such rhetoric could “poison bilateral relations.”

Pakistan’s Repeating Playbook: Victimhood over Accountability

This isn’t the first time Pakistani leaders have used the Taliban crisis to deflect internal failures outward. While it’s true that post-US withdrawal chaos has empowered militants, Pakistan’s decades-long strategy of using extremist proxies has played a major role in creating the security mess it now finds unmanageable.

Instead of acknowledging that reality, Bilawal is trying to recast Pakistan as a casualty of American foreign policy—a narrative that few in the region are buying anymore.