FM thanks friends of Pakistan for skipping G20 Srinagar moot,
BAGH (Shoaib Raja) – In line with the protest against G20 summit, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday criticised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that Modi was staging “drama” in Kashmir.
Addressing a public gathering, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said, “We gave a strong response to Modi at the G20 summit. I am here today as the foreign minister of the country and represent not only the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), but the entire country.”
At the outset of his speech, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said, “I would like to thank all political parties who have come here today at the invitation of PPP Azad Kashmir. Today, the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have protested against Modi’s G20 summit. They are protesting against it in large numbers”.”Whenever I meet world leaders, I prioritise the Kashmir issue before discussing domestic issues. Of course, the problems in the country are temporary. But we have been related to Kashmir for generations,” maintained Mr Bhutto-Zardari. He vowed to stand with Kashmiris.
On Sunday, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said that India will not be able to suppress the voice of the people of occupied Kashmir by holding the G20 summit in the disputed region.
Speaking to media after arriving in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on a three-day visit, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said, ‘It is not possible for India to play an important role in the world by violating UN resolutions”.
“At a time when India is holding a conference in Occupied Kashmir, I have been invited to address the Assembly of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK),” Mr Bhutto-Zardari maintained.
He added, “I believe that when a country takes such a step as India has taken, its true face comes before the world”.
In connection with showing solidarity with the oppressed Kashmiri people, Mr Bhutto-Zardari went on to say that he will also participate in a protest rally in Bagh district to express solidarity with Kashmiris.
“When there is Kashmir cause, we always stand united on the issue by setting aside all political differences,” he said.
The Kashmir dispute was not an issue of Pakistan and India, but it is the issue of the people of Kashmir and it has become an international problem which could not be resolved until the Kashmiris are not allowed to exercise their right to self-determination.
He hoped that the struggle of Kashmiris would bear the fruits and days were not far away when the Kashmiris would get freedom by exercising their right to self-determination.
China, which also claims the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh in full as part of Tibet, has stood by Pakistan in condemning the meeting to promote tourism in the area — renowned for its lakes, meadows and snow-capped mountains.
Muslim nations Saudi Arabia and Turkiye are not sending government representation, while some Western countries have scaled back their presence, according to reports.
India is attempting to portray what officials have called “normalcy and peace” in the violence-wracked region by inviting the international community to a sprawling, well-guarded venue on the shores of Dal Lake in Srinagar.
Over the past week, IIOJK residents have chafed under stepped-up security measures. Hundreds have been detained in police stations and thousands including shopkeepers have received calls from officials warning them against any “signs of protest or trouble”.
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