Bilawal says he can defuse US-Pakistan tension

Islamabad, June 4 (IANS) Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that he can help defuse the tension between Pakistan and the US.

Bilawal said he can bridge the gap between Pakistan and the West and help defuse the current Islamabad-Washington tension, Associated Press of Pakistan reported, citing an interview with Newsweek.

Bilawal echoed Pakistan's position on the various irritants that have strained relations between the US and Pakistan.

The ties between Islamabad and Washington hit a rough patch over the killing of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden May 2 last year. A NATO airstrike Nov 26 last year that left two dozen Pakistan Army soldiers dead further strained the ties.

Bilawal defended the handling of the case of Shakil Afridi, a doctor who helped CIA track down Osama.

He said that cooperating with foreign-intelligence services, even of a friendly government, is illegal in every country.