Addressing a presser after a meeting of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Jaishankar said that Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will always be a part of India.
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday said that there is only one issue to discuss with Pakistan on Kashmir – that is when does Pakistan vacate its illegal occupation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference after a meeting of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), he said that Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will always be a part of India.
“G-20 meetings are held in all the states and Union Territories of India. They (Pakistan) have nothing to do with G-20 and also with Srinagar. There is only one issue to discuss on Kashmir that when does Pakistan vacate its illegal occupation of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir,” Jaishankar said in response to a question.
Asked whether India and Pakistan should sit together on terrorism issue, Jaishankar, attacking his visiting Pakistan counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, said: “Victims of terrorism do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism. Victims of terrorism defend themselves, counter acts of terrorism, they call it out, and that is exactly what is happening. To come here and preach these hypocritical words as though we are on the same boat. They are committing acts of terrorism.”
On the China-Pakistan economic corridor, he said: “So called corridor, it was made very clear not once, but twice in the SCO meeting that connectivity is good for progress but connectivity cant violate the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the states. This is a long standing position, nobody should have doubt about it. I assure that those who were in the room had no doubt about it.”
‘Article 370 is history’
Hitting back at Bilawal after commented on the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu & Kashmir on the sidelines of the Shanghai Corporation Organization (SCO), External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar advised the former to “Wake up and smell the coffee, as Article 370 is history.”
Bhutto’s statement marked a “violation of international commitment”. Also coming down hard on the neighbouring country over its falling global standing, the External Affairs Minister said, “Pakistan’s credibility is depleting faster than its forex reserves.”
Rebutting Bhutto’s comment on the upcoming G20 conference in Srinagar, Jaishankar further said, “Pakistan has nothing to do with G20 and also not with Srinagar.”
Meanwhile, the spectre of terrorism surfaced again in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, with the Army engaged in a fierce standoff with Pakistan-backed terrorists in the Rajouri district. The gunbattle broke out on a day Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was in Goa to take part in the SCO meet.
Five soldiers lost their lives in the anti-terror operation in the Kandi area of Rajouri on Thursday.
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