Former Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has stirred controversy by suggesting that Pakistan would be open to extraditing terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar to India, provided New Delhi demonstrates a willingness to cooperate in the process. Bhutto made these remarks during an interview with Al Jazeera, characterizing such a move as a potential "confidence-building measure".

In the interview, Bhutto responded to a question about potentially extraditing Hafiz Saeed, the chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Masood Azhar, the head of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), as a gesture of good faith towards India. He stated that Pakistan would not object to such steps within the context of a comprehensive dialogue where terrorism is a key issue. He also noted that cases against these individuals in Pakistan primarily concern domestic terror financing.

Bhutto addressed the whereabouts of Saeed and Azhar, stating that Hafiz Saeed is in Pakistani custody, serving a 33-year sentence for terror financing since 2019. Regarding Masood Azhar, Bhutto claimed that Pakistan believes he is currently in Afghanistan and that Islamabad has been unable to arrest him.

Bhutto also emphasized the need for India to cooperate by presenting evidence in Pakistani courts and allowing individuals from India to testify. He expressed concerns about what he described as India's "new normal" in dealing with terrorists, particularly in reference to "Operation Sindoor".

Bhutto's comments have sparked considerable debate and criticism within Pakistan. Talha Saeed, son of Hafiz Saeed, strongly condemned Bhutto's remarks, calling them an "irresponsible offer" and asserting that they go against Pakistan's state policy, national interest, and sovereignty. Talha further accused Bhutto of promoting the "enemy's narrative" and questioned whether a state representative should discuss handing over citizens to a hostile country. LeT-linked groups have also rejected Bhutto's position.

The Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, a political offshoot of LeT/Jamaat-ud-Dawa, issued a statement claiming India is involved in terrorism in Pakistan and is the mastermind of terror campaigns in Pakistan and around the world.

Experts suggest that Bhutto's statement may lack official backing and credibility, viewing it as a potential diplomatic signal or a distraction tactic by Pakistan. Some view Bhutto's statement as exposing Pakistan's long-running duplicity on terror. They point out that Hafiz Saeed is jailed for financing, not mass murder, and that Masood Azhar, though unaccounted for, has been spotted at a Jaish seminary that was destroyed in India's Operation Sindoor but is now being rebuilt.