News Analysis India

Tag: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

  • Only issue with Pakistan is when they will vacate POK: Jaishankar hits back at SCO meet

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: At the just concluded Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Goa, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar came down heavily on Pakistan after the comments made by Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Kashmir.

    “We have only one issue with Pakistan, which is when will they vacate Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). Pakistan’s credibility is depleting faster than its forex reserve,” said Jaishankar, responding to remarks made by Bhutto earlier on Friday.

    India has ruled out any normalcy of ties with Pakistan until the issue of terrorism is resolved and Jaishankar has categorically stated that perpetrators of terrorism cannot act like victims.

    Regarding Bhutto raking up the Kashmir issue, Jaishankar said that Article 370 is history.

    “Wake up and smell the coffee is what I would like to tell Pakistan as Article 370 is history. I would also like to reaffirm that Kashmir was, is and will always remain an integral part of India,” he said, adding that Pakistan had no business speaking about the G20 meeting in Kashmir as it was neither a member of the G20 nor does it have anything to do with Kashmir.

    ALSO READ | Happy to be in Goa, my visit will focus exclusively on SCO: Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto

    “We are politically and diplomatically exposing Pakistan to the world. Victims of terrorism (India) do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism. They are committing acts of terror which includes the incident of what happened in Rajouri today morning,” said Jaishankar, adding that this is the character of Pakistan, old playbook in a different location – this time it was Goa.

    During his opening remarks ahead of the meet, Jaishankar had stated that the menace of terrorism has continued unabated and taking our eyes off it would be detrimental to India’s security interests. He also reiterated that there can be no justification for terrorism and it must be stopped in all its forms and manifestations – including cross-border terrorism.

    “We must not allow anybody – individual or state – to hide behind non-state actors,” Jaishankar said.

    Meanwhile, Bhutto in an interaction that he had with media from Pakistan said that he wanted peace with India and would sit across the table and talk peace if the environment was congenial. He said he was treated fairly by India during the meet and that he shook hands with Jaishankar during dinner but was greeted with a namaste before the commencement of the meet like all other members.

    “The interest in Pakistan about India and in India about Pakistan is the same. We want to give peace a chance,’’ Bhutto said after he spoke about the breakdown of diplomatic ties with India following the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir.

    India has so far hosted more than 100 events under the SCO Presidency. Regarding bilateral relations with China, Jaishankar said, “The situation with China is abnormal along the border areas. We had a detailed discussion with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and decided to take the disengagement process forward.”

    China interestingly said that there were no issues it had with India and the relationship was normal.

    Meanwhile, Iran and Belarus have been admitted as new members of the SCO. The discussions India had with Russia were about further strengthening their trade and bilateral ties. English has also been made the third official language of the SCO.

    All members underlined that while connectivity is key to progress, it must come with respect for soverignity and territorial integrity of all member states.

    NEW DELHI: At the just concluded Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Goa, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar came down heavily on Pakistan after the comments made by Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Kashmir.

    “We have only one issue with Pakistan, which is when will they vacate Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). Pakistan’s credibility is depleting faster than its forex reserve,” said Jaishankar, responding to remarks made by Bhutto earlier on Friday.

    India has ruled out any normalcy of ties with Pakistan until the issue of terrorism is resolved and Jaishankar has categorically stated that perpetrators of terrorism cannot act like victims.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Regarding Bhutto raking up the Kashmir issue, Jaishankar said that Article 370 is history.

    “Wake up and smell the coffee is what I would like to tell Pakistan as Article 370 is history. I would also like to reaffirm that Kashmir was, is and will always remain an integral part of India,” he said, adding that Pakistan had no business speaking about the G20 meeting in Kashmir as it was neither a member of the G20 nor does it have anything to do with Kashmir.

    ALSO READ | Happy to be in Goa, my visit will focus exclusively on SCO: Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto

    “We are politically and diplomatically exposing Pakistan to the world. Victims of terrorism (India) do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism. They are committing acts of terror which includes the incident of what happened in Rajouri today morning,” said Jaishankar, adding that this is the character of Pakistan, old playbook in a different location – this time it was Goa.

    During his opening remarks ahead of the meet, Jaishankar had stated that the menace of terrorism has continued unabated and taking our eyes off it would be detrimental to India’s security interests. He also reiterated that there can be no justification for terrorism and it must be stopped in all its forms and manifestations – including cross-border terrorism.

    “We must not allow anybody – individual or state – to hide behind non-state actors,” Jaishankar said.

    Meanwhile, Bhutto in an interaction that he had with media from Pakistan said that he wanted peace with India and would sit across the table and talk peace if the environment was congenial. He said he was treated fairly by India during the meet and that he shook hands with Jaishankar during dinner but was greeted with a namaste before the commencement of the meet like all other members.

    “The interest in Pakistan about India and in India about Pakistan is the same. We want to give peace a chance,’’ Bhutto said after he spoke about the breakdown of diplomatic ties with India following the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir.

    India has so far hosted more than 100 events under the SCO Presidency. Regarding bilateral relations with China, Jaishankar said, “The situation with China is abnormal along the border areas. We had a detailed discussion with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and decided to take the disengagement process forward.”

    China interestingly said that there were no issues it had with India and the relationship was normal.

    Meanwhile, Iran and Belarus have been admitted as new members of the SCO. The discussions India had with Russia were about further strengthening their trade and bilateral ties. English has also been made the third official language of the SCO.

    All members underlined that while connectivity is key to progress, it must come with respect for soverignity and territorial integrity of all member states.

  • Happy to be in Goa, my visit will focus exclusively on SCO: Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The much awaited Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ meeting kickstarted in Goa on Thursday with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar holding bilateral meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang.

    No bilateral took place between Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari – even though the latter talked about meeting his counterparts over dinner where both he and Jaishankar would have come face to face.

    “My decision to attend the meeting illustrates Pakistan’s strong commitment to the charter of the SCO. My visit will be focused exclusively on the SCO and I will have discussions with my counterparts from friendly countries,” Bilawal said before heading to Goa. It has been 12 years since the last visit by a Pakistan Foreign Minister to India.

    On landing in Goa, Bilawal was received at the airport by Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) JP Singh. Singh has also served as India’s Ambassador to Pakistan in the past.

    ALSO READ | Pakistan encouraging cross-border terrorism, relations with China abnormal: Jaishankar

    Bilawal said that he was happy to be in Goa with his delegation from Pakistan. He met Lavrov and the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan and said he would look forward to meeting the others over dinner.

    Interestingly, the bilateral meeting between Bilawal and Lavrov came ahead of Pakistan importing its first consignment of crude oil from Russia. The consignment is expected to reach Karachi within a week from now.

    Meanwhile, even though no bilaterals took place between India and Pakistan, Jaishankar held talks with his counterparts from Russia, China and Uzbekistan.

    “We did a comprehensive review of our bilateral, global and multilateral cooperation with Sergey Lavrov. Appreciated Russia’s support for India’s SCO Presidency. Also discussed issues pertaining to G20 and BRICS,” said Jaishankar.

    Earlier, Jaishankar’s first meeting in Goa was with SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming. “The Indian Presidency is driven by a commitment to secure the SCO. Its key focus areas are startups, traditional medicine, youth empowerment, Buddhist heritage and science and technology,” Jaishankar said.

    Speaking on his meeting with the Chinese foreign minister, Jaishankar said, “We had a detailed discussion with state councillor and FM Qin Gang of China. The focus remains on resolving outstanding issues and ensuring peace and tranquility in the border areas. We also discussed SCO, G20 and BRICS.”

    In Jaishankar’s third bilateral meeting with his counterpart from Uzbekistan, the duo spoke about mutual cooperation.

    NEW DELHI: The much awaited Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ meeting kickstarted in Goa on Thursday with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar holding bilateral meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang.

    No bilateral took place between Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari – even though the latter talked about meeting his counterparts over dinner where both he and Jaishankar would have come face to face.

    “My decision to attend the meeting illustrates Pakistan’s strong commitment to the charter of the SCO. My visit will be focused exclusively on the SCO and I will have discussions with my counterparts from friendly countries,” Bilawal said before heading to Goa. It has been 12 years since the last visit by a Pakistan Foreign Minister to India.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    On landing in Goa, Bilawal was received at the airport by Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) JP Singh. Singh has also served as India’s Ambassador to Pakistan in the past.

    ALSO READ | Pakistan encouraging cross-border terrorism, relations with China abnormal: Jaishankar

    Bilawal said that he was happy to be in Goa with his delegation from Pakistan. He met Lavrov and the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan and said he would look forward to meeting the others over dinner.

    Interestingly, the bilateral meeting between Bilawal and Lavrov came ahead of Pakistan importing its first consignment of crude oil from Russia. The consignment is expected to reach Karachi within a week from now.

    Meanwhile, even though no bilaterals took place between India and Pakistan, Jaishankar held talks with his counterparts from Russia, China and Uzbekistan.

    “We did a comprehensive review of our bilateral, global and multilateral cooperation with Sergey Lavrov. Appreciated Russia’s support for India’s SCO Presidency. Also discussed issues pertaining to G20 and BRICS,” said Jaishankar.

    Earlier, Jaishankar’s first meeting in Goa was with SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming. “The Indian Presidency is driven by a commitment to secure the SCO. Its key focus areas are startups, traditional medicine, youth empowerment, Buddhist heritage and science and technology,” Jaishankar said.

    Speaking on his meeting with the Chinese foreign minister, Jaishankar said, “We had a detailed discussion with state councillor and FM Qin Gang of China. The focus remains on resolving outstanding issues and ensuring peace and tranquility in the border areas. We also discussed SCO, G20 and BRICS.”

    In Jaishankar’s third bilateral meeting with his counterpart from Uzbekistan, the duo spoke about mutual cooperation.

  • BJP holds nationwide protests, burns effigy of Pak minister Bilawal Bhutto for remarks on PM Modi

    By Online Desk

    The BJP held protests across the country condemning Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over his personal remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    This comes after Bhutto traded barbs with India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishakar over terrorism at the United Nations. Jaishankar told Pakistan to “clean up your act and try to be a good neighbour” and called it the “epicentre of terrorism.” Responding to Jaishankar, Bilawal said, “Osama bin Laden is dead, but the Butcher of Gujarat lives and he is the prime minister of India.”

    Modi was the chief minister of the state of Gujarat when sectarian riots in 2002 left more than 1,000 people dead. He has been accused of turning a blind eye to the violence, and until his election was denied entry to the US.

    Uttar Pradesh

    BJP workers burnt an effigy of Bhutto and staged a protest march from the BJP office to Atal Chowk in Lucknow. On Friday, BJP workers in Mathura staged a protest against Bhutto and also burnt an effigy.

    BJP workers protest and burn effigies of Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over his remarks against PM Narendra Modi, in Lucknow, Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    “Thousands of BJP workers marched from the Uttar Pradesh BJP office to the Atal Chowk (in Hazratganj) and raised slogans against Bilawal Bhutto. The party workers, under the leadership of state BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, also burnt an effigy of the Pakistani foreign minister,” party spokesperson Hero Bajpai told PTI. Taking a jibe at Bhutto, he said, “Bilawal Bhutto is not a ‘videsh mantri’ (foreign minister), he is a ‘vidwesh mantri’ (hostility minister).”

    Gujarat

    Protests were held in Rajkot, Vadodara, Gandhinagar, Botad, Mahisagar, Junagadh and many other places. BJP activists raised slogans against Bhutto and also burnt his effigies in some places.

    In Gandhinagar, a delegation led by state BJP’s Yuva Morcha president Prashant Korat submitted a memorandum criticising Pakistan and the minister to Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan.

    A large number of party workers and leaders gathered at the Zilla Panchayat Chowk in Rajkot and shouted slogans against Bilawal Bhutto and demanded that he should apologise for his statement on PM Modi.

    BJP workers shout slogans during a protest against Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Ahmedabad, Dec 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil dubbed Pakistan a ‘beggar’ and said Bhutto’s remarks on PM Modi have attracted criticism from the entire world.

    “Entire country is angry over Bhutto’s vile and shameful remarks about PM Modi. Pakistan is no less than a beggar. Its economy is so weak that Pakistan is forced to sell their assets, even its donkeys, to keep running the country. Pakistan needs to focus on their own condition before commenting on others. The entire world knows the misdeeds of the Bhutto family” said Paatil.

    Maharashtra

    Protests began in Pune and Mumbai simultaneously on Saturday morning with hundreds of BJP workers and leaders gathering at major junctions with placards in their hands. They also burnt the effigies of Pakistan and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister while shouting slogans against them.

    BJP leaders stage a protest against Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at Mantralaya, in front of the Mahatma Gandhi’s statue, in Mumbai, Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    BJP State president Chandrashekhar Bawankule led the protest in Pune, and said, “The party is holding a nationwide protest against the derogatory remarks made by Bilawal against PM Modiji. We strongly condemn his remarks.”

    Similarly, in Mumbai, hundreds of BJP workers and leaders gathered at various places and held demonstrations. They even played songs criticizing the Pakistan government and its foreign minister.

    Jammu and Kashmir

    BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit staged a protest from the party’s office in Srinagar’s Jawahar Nagar area raising slogans against Bhutto and demanding an apology from him. The party works also burnt effigies of Bhutto and Pakistan.

    “This march is part of the country-wide protests by the BJP against Bhutto’s shameless comments against our beloved prime minister. This protest is against Pakistan which is a terror state,” the party’s Kashmir media incharge, Manzoor Ahmad, told reporters.

    BJP leaders burn an effigy of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during a protest in Srinagar, Dec 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    WATCH:

    (With inputs from PTI, ANI, AFP)

    The BJP held protests across the country condemning Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over his personal remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    This comes after Bhutto traded barbs with India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishakar over terrorism at the United Nations. Jaishankar told Pakistan to “clean up your act and try to be a good neighbour” and called it the “epicentre of terrorism.” Responding to Jaishankar, Bilawal said, “Osama bin Laden is dead, but the Butcher of Gujarat lives and he is the prime minister of India.”

    Modi was the chief minister of the state of Gujarat when sectarian riots in 2002 left more than 1,000 people dead. He has been accused of turning a blind eye to the violence, and until his election was denied entry to the US.

    Uttar Pradesh

    BJP workers burnt an effigy of Bhutto and staged a protest march from the BJP office to Atal Chowk in Lucknow. On Friday, BJP workers in Mathura staged a protest against Bhutto and also burnt an effigy.

    BJP workers protest and burn effigies of Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over his remarks against PM Narendra Modi, in Lucknow, Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    “Thousands of BJP workers marched from the Uttar Pradesh BJP office to the Atal Chowk (in Hazratganj) and raised slogans against Bilawal Bhutto. The party workers, under the leadership of state BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, also burnt an effigy of the Pakistani foreign minister,” party spokesperson Hero Bajpai told PTI. Taking a jibe at Bhutto, he said, “Bilawal Bhutto is not a ‘videsh mantri’ (foreign minister), he is a ‘vidwesh mantri’ (hostility minister).”

    Gujarat

    Protests were held in Rajkot, Vadodara, Gandhinagar, Botad, Mahisagar, Junagadh and many other places. BJP activists raised slogans against Bhutto and also burnt his effigies in some places.

    In Gandhinagar, a delegation led by state BJP’s Yuva Morcha president Prashant Korat submitted a memorandum criticising Pakistan and the minister to Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan.

    A large number of party workers and leaders gathered at the Zilla Panchayat Chowk in Rajkot and shouted slogans against Bilawal Bhutto and demanded that he should apologise for his statement on PM Modi.

    BJP workers shout slogans during a protest against Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Ahmedabad, Dec 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil dubbed Pakistan a ‘beggar’ and said Bhutto’s remarks on PM Modi have attracted criticism from the entire world.

    “Entire country is angry over Bhutto’s vile and shameful remarks about PM Modi. Pakistan is no less than a beggar. Its economy is so weak that Pakistan is forced to sell their assets, even its donkeys, to keep running the country. Pakistan needs to focus on their own condition before commenting on others. The entire world knows the misdeeds of the Bhutto family” said Paatil.

    Maharashtra

    Protests began in Pune and Mumbai simultaneously on Saturday morning with hundreds of BJP workers and leaders gathering at major junctions with placards in their hands. They also burnt the effigies of Pakistan and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister while shouting slogans against them.

    BJP leaders stage a protest against Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at Mantralaya, in front of the Mahatma Gandhi’s statue, in Mumbai, Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    BJP State president Chandrashekhar Bawankule led the protest in Pune, and said, “The party is holding a nationwide protest against the derogatory remarks made by Bilawal against PM Modiji. We strongly condemn his remarks.”

    Similarly, in Mumbai, hundreds of BJP workers and leaders gathered at various places and held demonstrations. They even played songs criticizing the Pakistan government and its foreign minister.

    Jammu and Kashmir

    BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit staged a protest from the party’s office in Srinagar’s Jawahar Nagar area raising slogans against Bhutto and demanding an apology from him. The party works also burnt effigies of Bhutto and Pakistan.

    “This march is part of the country-wide protests by the BJP against Bhutto’s shameless comments against our beloved prime minister. This protest is against Pakistan which is a terror state,” the party’s Kashmir media incharge, Manzoor Ahmad, told reporters.

    BJP leaders burn an effigy of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during a protest in Srinagar, Dec 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    WATCH:

    (With inputs from PTI, ANI, AFP)

  • ‘New low even for you’: India blasts Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto for Modi attack

    By Agencies

    NEW DELHI: India on Friday came down heavily on Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for launching a personal attack on PM Narendra Modi, terming it a ‘new low’ even for that country.

    The latest exchange between the neighbouring rivals happened on the sidelines of an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York across Wednesday and Thursday.

    Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar had told Pakistan to “clean up your act and try to be (a) good neighbour”, while terming the country the “epicentre of terrorism”.

    “Hillary Clinton, during her visit to Pakistan, said that if you keep snakes in your backyard you can’t expect them to bite only your neighbours, eventually they will bite the people who keep them in the backyard,” he had observed.

    In response, Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said India was seeking to conflate Muslims and terrorists in both countries.

    He told Jaishankar that “Osama bin Laden is dead, (but) the Butcher of Gujarat lives and he is the prime minister of India”.

    Bhutto Zardari went on to say that his country had lost far more lives to terrorism and that he himself was a victim, referring to his mother Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated by a suicide bomber in 2007.

    “Why would we want our own people to suffer? We absolutely do not,” he stated.

    WATCH |

    Responding to the exchange, India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said it was a “new low even for Pakistan”, while quipping that “‘Made in Pakistan’ terrorism had to stop”.

    Bagchi said the Pakistan foreign minister’s “frustration” would be better directed towards the masterminds of terrorist enterprises in his own country, who have made terrorism a part of their “state policy”.

    “Pakistan is a country that glorifies Osama bin Laden as a martyr, and shelters terrorists like Lakhvi, Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar, Sajid Mir and Dawood Ibrahim. No other country can boast of having 126 UN-designated terrorists and 27 UN-designated terrorist entities,” Bagchi asserted.

    NEW DELHI: India on Friday came down heavily on Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for launching a personal attack on PM Narendra Modi, terming it a ‘new low’ even for that country.

    The latest exchange between the neighbouring rivals happened on the sidelines of an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York across Wednesday and Thursday.

    Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar had told Pakistan to “clean up your act and try to be (a) good neighbour”, while terming the country the “epicentre of terrorism”.

    “Hillary Clinton, during her visit to Pakistan, said that if you keep snakes in your backyard you can’t expect them to bite only your neighbours, eventually they will bite the people who keep them in the backyard,” he had observed.

    In response, Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said India was seeking to conflate Muslims and terrorists in both countries.

    He told Jaishankar that “Osama bin Laden is dead, (but) the Butcher of Gujarat lives and he is the prime minister of India”.

    Bhutto Zardari went on to say that his country had lost far more lives to terrorism and that he himself was a victim, referring to his mother Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated by a suicide bomber in 2007.

    “Why would we want our own people to suffer? We absolutely do not,” he stated.

    WATCH |

    Responding to the exchange, India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said it was a “new low even for Pakistan”, while quipping that “‘Made in Pakistan’ terrorism had to stop”.

    Bagchi said the Pakistan foreign minister’s “frustration” would be better directed towards the masterminds of terrorist enterprises in his own country, who have made terrorism a part of their “state policy”.

    “Pakistan is a country that glorifies Osama bin Laden as a martyr, and shelters terrorists like Lakhvi, Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar, Sajid Mir and Dawood Ibrahim. No other country can boast of having 126 UN-designated terrorists and 27 UN-designated terrorist entities,” Bagchi asserted.