New Delhi, May 6: While India and Pakistan took a veiled swipe at each other at the Shanghai Corporation Organization (SCO) meeting of foreign ministers at Goa on Friday, the debate became acerbic with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar saying the only issue left to discuss is when they will vacate Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
Jaishankar made this remark after his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto raked up the Kashmir issue in his interaction with his country’s media.
“We have only one issue left to discuss with Pakistan that is when will they vacate PoK. Pakistan’s credibility is depleting faster than its forex reserves,” Jaishankar said sarcastically.
While Bilawal Bhutto said both countries wanted peace adding he was ready to open talks if the atmosphere was congenial, Jaishankar called out his duplicity on talking peace while sponsoring terror in the same breath.
While ruling out restoring ties till the issue of terror is resolved, Jaishankar said the perpetrators of terrorism cannot act like victims.
“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 the acts of terror which include what happened at Rajouri this morning,” Jaishshankar said.
He claimed it was Pakistan’s old playbook being articulated from a different location, Goa.
When asked about Bilawal raking up Kashmir’s special status, Jaishankar said 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 like to reaffirm that Kashmir was, is and will always remain an integral part of India,” Jaishankar added.
EOM
