'Wake Up And Smell Coffee, Article 370 is History': EAM Tears Into Pak Over Kashmir Issue at SCO Meet

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asked his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to “wake up and smell the coffee” in response to the latter’s remark on the abrogation of Article 370 during the SCO meeting in Goa on Friday and asserted that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and will” always be part of India.

Speaking at the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held in Benaulim, Goa, Zardari raised the issue of “violation of international law” which was seen as an apparent reference to Kashmir and the abrogation of Article 370.

Responding to the statement, external affairs minister Jaishankar urged Pakistan to “wake up and smell the coffee.” He said, “370 is history. The sooner people realise it, the better it is.”

“There is only one issue to discuss in Kashmir and that is regarding the illegally held Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,” he said. Jaishankar asserted that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and will” always be part of India.

In his address, the Pakistan foreign minister talked about the need for ensuring respect for universally recognised principles and said, “unilateral and illegal measures by States in violation of international law and Security Council resolutions run counter to the SCO objectives.” He further said, “We need to be unambiguous in keeping our commitments and charting out a new future for our people. One that is not based on conflict preservation but on conflict resolution.”

The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India announced withdrawing special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories in August 2019.

Asked whether there could be talks between India and Pakistan on combating the menace, the external affairs minister said, “Victims of terrorism do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism.

Bhutto Zardari also appeared to take a swipe at India as he called for not getting caught up in “weaponising terrorism for diplomatic point scoring”.

Jaishankar took a strong objection against the statement and said the remarks “unconsciously reveal a mindset.” Emphasising that India is countering terrorism and defending itself, he said, “We are calling it out, we are exposing and some of it is what you sought,” he said.

“To me, it is not about scoring diplomatic points. We are politically (and) diplomatically exposing Pakistan before the world. And as a victim of terrorism, I am completely entitled to do so,” Jaishankar asserted said.

Bhutto Zardari’s attendance at the SCO meet in Goa made him the first Pakistani foreign minister to visit India in almost 12 years.

External affairs minister said Bhutto Zardari came to India as foreign minister of an SCO member state and it is part of multilateral diplomacy. “Do not see it as anything more than that,” he added.

He also said Bhutto Zardari was a “promoter, justifier and a spokesperson” of the terrorism industry and his position on the menace was called out at the SCO meeting.

(With inputs from PTI)

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