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Minister of Foreign Affairs S. Jaishankar with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari prior to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization foreign ministers’ meeting in Goa. (photo: PTI)
Responding to his strong objection to Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s call not to get involved in “weaponizing terrorism in order to score diplomatic points,” the foreign minister said the statement “unconsciously reveals a mentality”
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar launched a strong rebuke of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s remarks on the cross-border attacks during the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting in Goa, saying that “victims of terrorism do not sit with the perpetrators of terrorism”.
“Pakistan’s credibility is drying up faster than its foreign exchange reserves,” Jaishankar said in a double attack on the cash-strapped country after its foreign exchange reserves plunged 16.1% to $3.09 billion in February, the lowest in nearly 10 years.
Speaking about Bhutto Zardari’s attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Goa, Jaishankar, who is the first Pakistani foreign minister to visit India in nearly 12 years, said, “He came here as foreign minister of a SCO member country. This is part of multilateral diplomacy.” Parties. You don’t see it as any more than that. I think nothing of what he said or what I heard him say deserves to be treated like this any more.”
As the foreign minister of a member state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Mr. Bhutto Zardari was treated accordingly. As a promoter, justifier and spokesperson for the terrorism industry which is the mainstay of Pakistan, his positions were called upon and addressed including the SCO meeting.”
‘Victims don’t sit with perpetrators of terrorism’
Asked if talks could be held between India and Pakistan on combating this threat, the external affairs minister said, “Victims of terrorism do not sit down with perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism.
Strongly objecting to the Pakistani foreign minister’s call not to get involved in “weaponizing terrorism for the sake of scoring diplomatic points”, the Pakistani foreign minister said the charge was “interesting” because it “unconsciously reveals a mentality”. “What does it mean to weaponize something? It means that the activity is legitimate and someone is using it as a weapon.”
Referring to Bhutto Zardari’s comment without giving his name, Jaishankar said, “There are those who say that we are arming terrorism means that they think that terrorism is legitimate. That we should not be arming. This is normal.”
Jaishankar stressed that India is fighting terrorism and defending itself. He said: “We call it and reveal it, and some of it is what you sought.”
“For me, it is not about scoring diplomatic points. We are politically and diplomatically exposing Pakistan in front of the world. As a victim of terrorism, I am fully entitled to do so,” the minister said.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs criticized his remarks and said, “Are we supposed to accept terrorism as a victim? As if they are committing terrorism and then asking us not to talk about it.”
Earlier in the day, while expressing Pakistan’s commitment to fighting terrorism, Zardari appeared to lash out at India as he called for not getting involved in “weaponizing terrorism to score diplomatic points”. Involved in arming terrorism in order to score diplomatic points.”
Jaishankar also responded to Zardari’s statement, in which he said, “Peace is our destiny and we must not be hostage to our history.” In the context of the recent terrorist incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, including the five soldiers killed in Rajouri earlier today, Jaishankar said, “Whether peace is destiny or not, we don’t know. But terrorism cannot be destiny.”
He said, “A country that practices terrorism cannot talk about peace at the same time.”
An ongoing operation to eliminate terrorists in Kandy district of Rajouri state turns into a tragedy as five army personnel lose their lives and a major is injured in an explosion triggered by the terrorists. The Army Northern Command issued a statement that its personnel were conducting intelligence operations in the area to root out a group of terrorists responsible for an army truck ambush in Tota Gali area of Bhatta Darian in Jammu last month.
As a precautionary measure, mobile internet facilities have been suspended in Rajouri.
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