Daily Times

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday, linking any change in Pakistan’s India policy to the reversal of unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019, said the onus was on India to build a conducive environment for talks. The foreign minister, taking to the newsmen after addressing the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Foreign Ministers here, said the Pakistan Peoples Party always advocated the normalisation of ties with India but the latter’s unilateral action of revoking a special status of Kashmir had undermined the environment.

The unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, had not only violated international laws and the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions but also the bilateral agreements, he added. The Indian violation, he said, had created a trust deficit as the country could unilaterally violate the bilateral agreements in the future too. Asked about the Indian decision of hosting the G20 summit in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK), The foreign minister said, “Obviously we condemn it and at the time we will give such a response that it will be remembered. “It is a show of Indian arrogance to the world that to hell with the 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 also said India would soon find that “they will be unable to achieve 110 percent attendance because other people will not compromise on their morals”. To a question, Bilawal Bhutto said without any distinction, Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar received all the foreign ministers the same way which was also identical to the style practised in Sindh and Multan.

He told the media that in 2026, Pakistan would be holding the CFM chair, and hoped that India would take a good step to participate in the summit on the basis of “reciprocal diplomatic agreements”. He said most of the people in both India and Pakistan wanted to live in peace and achieve development without being held hostage by history. “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.” The foreign minister appreciated the Indian counterpart for fulfilling his responsibilities as the CFM chair and also lauded the CFM management and cultural show which represented all member states.

Responding to a query, Bilawal Bhutto said the SCO forum should be used for collective security and urged the member states to work collectively to combat the menace. Regarding Indian demand for a neutral venue for Asia Cup 2023, the foreign minister said, “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…The hope is that a petty action won’t be taken and we should keep our sportsmen and cricket separate from politics and foreign policy.” Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto, reiterating Pakistan’s “unchanged” position, said his country could not engage in any meaningful dialogue with India till the latter reviewed its unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019, revoking the special status of Kashmir.

“Unless India reviews the action it took on August 5, 2019 (abrogation of Article 370), Pakistan is not in a position to engage bilaterally with India… As far as Pakistan’s position on bilateral relations with India or any meaningful engagement or dialogue with my Indian counterpart, our position remains unchanged,” the foreign minister said in an interview with India Today. Bilawal said Pakistan wanted to combat the menace of terrorism because it had caused the largest number of casualties among any other SCO countries. “Pakistan wants to quell terrorism not because India said it or the Indian government said so, but because we want to end this menace. “Pakistan has suffered the most. I myself am a victim of terrorism, so Pakistan and myself are wholly committed to combating this menace,” he reiterated.

To a question, the foreign minister said Pakistan was willing to engage any Indian concerns but India would also have to address Pakistan’s concerns. “India will have to explain what Kulbhushan Jadhav – a state actor, a navy commander – was doing in Pakistan, carrying out terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil. Does that not come under cross-border terrorism?” he asked. He said the victims of the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing, which had killed around 70 people, mostly Pakistanis, had yet to see any justice. To a question, he said the trial on the Mumbai attacks was facing delay because India had not been producing witnesses as a legal requirement.