S.Jaishankar on Talks with Pak Counterpart Bilawal Bhutto
Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s visit to India for the SCO meeting
External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar said, the minister spoke on everything but the SCO. One of the key reasons the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers meeting became a discussion point was EAM S. Jaishankar’s cold greeting” to his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Speaking on the Pakistani foreign ministers India visit, Jaishankar said that if he had a good guest, he would be a good host. The statement explicitly implies that Bhutto was not a “good guest “for New Delhi.
“We invited the Pakistani foreign minister because there was an SCO foreign ministers meeting as this is a multilateral meeting, you invite people to discuss that subject”, said Jaishankar. “If you look at what were his public utterances outside in press conferences and other interviews, he has not given any statement about SCO at all. He has spoken about everything else pertaining to India, what do I do as a host? If I have a guest who is a good guest, I am good host” added the minister.
Jaishankar and Bhutto did not hold any bilateral talks, spoke about the issue of terrorism during the SCO meeting. In a veiled attack on Pakistan, Jaishankar called for combating terrorism in all its forms and said, “The menace of terrorism continues unabated. There can be no justification for terrorism, including cross-border terrorism. One of the original mandates of SCO is combating terrorism.” Without specifying Jaishankar, Bhutto reacted” let’s not get caught up in weaponising terrorism or trying to earn diplomatic points for it.”
Jaishankar retorted to Zardari’s comments “let’s not weaponise terrorism “remark during a press briefing in Goa where the SCO council of foreign ministers meeting was held from May 4 to May 5
Later in the evening, after the conclusion of the SCO meeting, Jaishankar held a press briefing in Panaji where he referred to the Pakistan foreign minister as a “promoter, justifier and spokesperson of terror industry”.
“As a Foreign Minister of an SCO member of state, Mr. Bhutto Zardari was treated accordingly. As a promoter, justifier and spokesperson of terrorism industry which is the mainstay of Pakistan, his position in the SCO meeting were called out and countered”, Jaishankar said.
