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GOA: Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the onus was on New Delhi to create a favorable climate for discussions, attributing any change in Pakistan’s India policy to the reversal of unilateral and illegal measures on August 5, 2019.
The foreign minister made these statements during a press conference following the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting in Goa.
“The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has always advocated for normalization of relations with India, but India’s unilateral action in withdrawing Kashmir’s special status has undermined the relationship,” FM Bilawal Bhutto stated.
According to Bilawal Bhutto, the unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, breached not only international laws and UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions but also bilateral agreements.
He stated that the Indian violation had created a confidence deficit since India may violate bilateral agreements unilaterally in the future.
When asked about India’s decision to hold the G20 summit in IIOJK, the foreign minister stated, “Obviously, we condemn it, and at the time, we will give such a response that it will be remembered.”
“It is a display of Indian arrogance to the world that India will hold their event in Kashmir regardless of international law, United Nations Security Council Resolutions, or any bilateral agreements.”
He also predicted that India will soon discover that “they will be unable to achieve 110 percent attendance because other people will not compromise their morals.”
In response to a question, the foreign minister stated that Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar greeted all foreign ministers in the same manner, which was also equivalent to the technique used in Sindh and Multan.
He told the media that Pakistan will hold the CFM chair in 2026, and he hoped that India would take a positive step to participate in the summit based on “reciprocal diplomatic agreements.”
He stated that the majority of people in both India and Pakistan desired to live in peace and progress without being held captive by the past.
He stated that at each CFM, foreign ministers thanked the Indian counterpart for carrying out his responsibilities as CFM chair and praised the cultural event sponsored by India, which represented all member countries.
In response to a question, Bilawal Bhutto stated that the SCO forum should be used for collective security and asked member states to work together to resist the threat.
‘Let us not use terrorism to get diplomatic points’
Earlier in the day, while speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) session, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto warned against weaponizing terrorism for diplomatic gain.
S. Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister, spoke during the SCO meeting, highlighting the issue of cross-border terrorism.
“While the world was preoccupied with dealing with Covid and its consequences, the threat of terrorism persisted unabated,” Jaishankar added. Taking our gaze away from this threat would be damaging to our security interests.
Furthermore, the host underlined his country’s “long-standing” desire that English be designated as the moot’s third official language. At the time, Russian and Mandarin are the official languages used on the form.
Bilawal Bhutto, speaking during the SCO summit, reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to multilateralism in order to sustain international peace and harmony. “Pakistan remains committed to multilateralism and continues to play a leading role in all international forums.”
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to the SCO, saying, “There couldn’t be a more powerful indication of the importance that Pakistan attaches to the SCO than my presence here in Goa for this CFM.”
According to the FO, Bilawal stated that the SCO could be a “key platform for taking the vision of Eurasian connectivity to the next level.”
