FM Bilawal rules out negotiations with India till review of Aug 5 actions

KARACHI: Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has ruled out any possibility of negotiations with India till the latter reviewed its ‘unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019, revoking the special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)’, ARY News reported on Friday.

“Unless India reviews the action it took on August 5, 2019 (abrogation of Article 370), Islamabad is not in a position to engage bilaterally with New Delhi,” the foreign minister said while addressing a press conference in Karachi.

FM Bilawal termed his trip to India as a “success”, saying that he has tabled the Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir before the world and apprised the international community of the violation of United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) resolutions by New Delhi.

He pointed out that the ‘false propaganda’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that every Muslim was a terrorist had been negated during his visit.

“The BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have been trying to declare Muslims across the world terrorists, they declare Pakistanis terrorists,” he said, adding that they have made an attempt at “breaking this myth”.

The foreign minister said that he believes when the son of Shaheed Mohatarma Benazir Bhutto sits before them, no matter how much they try to level such allegations, this is a reply enough for them.

Bilawal Bhutto further said that he was “surprised” to learn that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had no Muslim candidate despite India having one of the biggest Muslim population in the world. “The PPP forwarded Hindi candidates for provincial and federal legislatures who went on to become ministers”, he added.

In response to a question about Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar’s comments about him, the foreign minister said, “I understand there is an insecurity behind this criticism.”

Read More: Onus on India as no change in Pakistan’s position on Kashmir issue: FM Bilawal

“The reason for this insecurity was that a false narrative, propaganda and lie was being spread in India, particularly by the BJP,” he said, adding: “By going there and speaking and presenting our stance, we break that myth and propaganda.

He also said that the BJP try to give the impression that every Muslim is a terrorist so that hatred spreads and they could win elections. He said the narrative that terrorism was linked to Muslims had become “stale” across the world.

Bilawal went on to say that what frustrated India was the refusal of Pakistanis and Kashmiris to accept the Indian government’s actions of August 5, 2019, when it revoked occupied Kashmir’s special status.

“As Pakistan’s representatives, we talk on terrorism and Kashmir, counter India’s propaganda and one-sided message so that is why maybe the Indian FM seemed so emotional,” FM Bilawal added.