Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi boycotted on Thursday the speech of Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the meeting of SAARC Council of Ministers in New York.
Speaking to the media after boycotting the speech, the FM said it was not possible for him to sit with murderer of Kashmiris. The FM only attended the meeting after his Indian counterpart left after his opening statement.
"Pakistan will not engage with the 'Butcher of Kashmir' until and unless they lift the siege and put an end to atrocities in occupied Kashmir," a statement issued by the Foreign office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said. The statement further said that India must safeguard the human rights of every Kashmiri and ensure they are protected and not violated and trampled upon.
"It is not possible for me to sit with murderer of Kashmiris," Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi boycotted speech of Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at meeting of SAARC Council of Ministers in New York #UNGA #AllEyesOnKashmir #PMIKFightsForKashmir pic.twitter.com/0JooOMW5dQ
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) September 26, 2019
The FM along with Prime Minister Imran Khan is in US to attend the 74th session of the United Nation General Assembly. Qureshi has been briefing different leaders around the world and highlighting the plight of over eight million Kashmiris in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK).
On August 5, India stripped IoK of the constitutional rights they had for seven decades. Since then curfew has been in place in the region.