KARACHI: Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar burst out against Pakistan at a media briefing where he was supposed to inform journalists on how successful India was in hosting the Shangai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting.
In response to a question from Munizae Jahangir of Aaj News, Jaishankar attacked Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s statement made at the conference. Pakistani foreign minister had warned against weaponising terrorism for diplomatic point-scoring.
Munizae asked, “Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari made a bold move by coming here and it is seen as a breakthrough. He is also beign criticized but how do you India see it? Do you see it as a breakthrough and what will be your roadmap in the future to resumption of at least diplomatic ties with Pakistan.”
In response, Jaishankar burst out in anger. He called Bilawal a justifier of terrorism.
India should create a conducive environment for talks: FM Bilawal
“As a foreign minister of an SCO member state, Bhutto Zardari was treated accordingly. As a promoter, justifier and I am sorry to say as spokesperson of a terrorism industry which is the mainstay of Pakistan, his positions were called out and they were countered, including at the SCO meeting itself.” Jaishankar then launched an attack on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
He then said Pakistan had nothing to do with the G20 and that G20 meetings are held in all Indian states. He was referring to India’s plans of holding the G20 conference in occupied Jammu and Kashmir amid rising militancy. At least five Indian soldiers were killed in the region on Friday.
About the possibility of Indo-Pak talks, Jaishankar said victims of terrorism do not sit with the perpetrator of terrorism.
At this point, Jaishankar, a seasoned diplomat, lost cool. “To come here and to preach these hypocratical words, as though we are on the same boat. I mean they are committing acts of terrorism. I don’t want to jump the gun on what happened today, but I think we are all feeling equally outraged,” he said.
On terrorism Pakistan’s credibility is depleting faster than its forex reserves, he said.
Jaishankar said Bilawal came here as the foreign minister of an SCO member state. “That is part of multilateral diplomacy, please don’t see as more than that. It was not mean as more than that. It was not treated as anything more thatn that. And I think nothing that from what he said and what I heard he said deserves to be treated more than that.”
Jaishankar was visibility soft on China, which is engaged in a border dispute with India. The Indian foreign minister said that his country had a very frank discussion with China and “we have to take the disagreement process forward.”
He confessed that India-China relations were not normal.
However, several subsequent questions from journalists centered on Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s visit.
Although Indian foreign office officials tried to avoid questions on Pakistan, Jaishankar ended up responding to Bilawal’s demand for the withdrawal of India’s August 5, 2019 decision on the Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The Article “370 is history. Sooner people realize it the better,” he said referring to the part of the Indian constitution which previously allowed J&K autonomous status. Jaishankar also ruled out the resumption of sports relations between Pakistan and India. Bilawal had earlier said that sports should not be held hostage to politics and foreign policy.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
Comments
Comments are closed.