There would be no discussions with India until the status of the IIOJK is changed. FM
According to Bilawal, it is New Delhi’s responsibility to foster a positive climate.
KARACHI:
Until New Delhi reverses its decision to revoke the special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari declared on Friday that there will be no bilateral discussion with India.
After arriving back in Karachi from Goa, Bilawal held a press conference to tout the success of his trip, explaining that he was able to counteract anti-Pakistani propaganda and provide Pakistan’s side of the story.
On Thursday, Bilawal traveled to the Indian seaside resort city for the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM). On Friday, he spoke at a meeting of the top diplomats from the Group of Eight countries.
According to Bilawal, he successfully presented the Pakistani narrative at the CFM and countered propaganda against Pakistan in his encounters with the Indian media despite the ban on addressing contentious matters between India and Pakistan.
“BJP and RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party] want to declare not only every Pakistani, but every Muslim, including me, as terrorist,” the foreign minister said to reporters. “For them, all Muslims are terrorists,” he said.
It puzzled Bilawal that no Muslim BJP candidates made it to either the Senate or the House of Representatives. He said that “we not only allot tickets to our Hindu candidates to contest general elections, but we also induct them into cabinet” in Pakistan.
According to Bilawal, he effectively communicated the Pakistani perspective during the SCO-CFM by detailing how the BJP-led Indian government has broken international law, conventions, and UN Security Council resolutions in its handling of the Kashmir issue.
I was able to speak with members of the Indian press and counter the negative portrayal of Pakistan that had been published during my trip there. Overall, I think I did a good job of making our argument to the other attendees,” he said.
The foreign minister reiterated that the “new birth” of the Kashmir cause was on account of India’s unilateral move on August 5, 2019, and that there would be no significant progress until India reversed its 2019 decision.
The comments made by Indian Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar on Pakistan were dismissed by Bilawal. He attributed his Indian counterpart’s comments to the “insecurity they feel because of violating the international laws,” which was a direct quote from his remarks.
He continued, saying the Indian minister has faith in terrorist groups’ use of propaganda. The cost of our fight against terrorism has been on full display for everyone to see. The suffering we’ve endured is unparalleled,” he declared. India plans to label Pakistan a terrorist state, but this evil scheme will be thwarted.
The foreign minister responded to questions about the bounty placed on his head by a BJP politician by saying that political parties “don’t behave like this and it must be widely condemned” and that a more democratic approach must now prevail.
He claimed, “After the invitation for the SCO meeting, I decided to go there in order to fight for Pakistan’s cause in the land of India,” and that he had spoken with other SCO members about regional concerns, especially Kashmir.
According to Bilawal, the SCO members, including Russia and the Central Asians States (CAS), have voiced their appreciation for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative and their desire to get involved in it.
Bilawal concluded his news conference by saying that he will be meeting with the foreign ministers of China and Afghanistan on Saturday in Islamabad. Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also attended.
Responsibility lies with India
After the SCO-CFM, Bilawal, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), met with the media in India and reiterated his sentiments. He said that the PPP had always pushed for improved relations with India, but had poisoned the atmosphere this year.
The onus, according to Bilawal, is now on India to create a suitable climate for negotiations, and he connected any shift in Pakistan’s India policy to the reversal of unilateral and unlawful acts of August 5, 2019.
In addition to breaking international law and Security Council resolutions, he said, “the unilateral actions of August 5, 2019 have also violated the bilateral agreements.” India’s potential future unilateral violations of the bilateral accords highlighted the “trust deficit” generated by this transgression.
The foreign minister responded, “Obviously, we condemn it and at the time, we will give such a response that will be remembered.” This was in answer to a question concerning India’s intention to hold the G-20 conference in IIOJK. He further predicted that “they will be unable to achieve 110% attendance because other people will not compromise on their morals,” which would be a major setback for India.
He stated, “It is a show of Indian arrogance to the world that to hell with international law, to hell with the United Nations Security Council resolutions, to hell with any bilateral agreements, India will hold their event in Kashmir.”
He informed the media that Pakistan will be serving as CFM chair in 2026 and expressed his hope that India would attend the summit on the basis of “reciprocal diplomatic agreements.”
He stated that the majority of people in both India and Pakistan desired to live in peace and advance their countries economically without being shackled by their pasts.
The foreign minister praised his Indian counterpart for effectively carrying out his role as CFM chair and praised the CFM’s administration and cultural showcase, which were both intended to be representative of all member states.
The minister added, “I believe we shouldn’t hold sports hostage to politics or foreign policy and the purpose of sports is that you keep it away from such issues… [T]he purpose of sports is that you keep it away from such issues,” in response to the Indian demand for a neutral location for Asia Cup 2023. We should keep our athletes and cricket out of politics and international policy, and I hope that this petty action doesn’t happen.
