Indian media distorted Bilawal’s G-20 remarks: FO

Describes attempts to interpret FM’s statement as threat as ‘mischievous, highly irresponsible’

ISLAMABAD:

The Foreign Office has described as “mischievous” and “highly irresponsible” attempts by a section of the Indian media to present Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s remarks on G-20’s upcoming meeting in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as a threat of violence.

“It is an attempt to shift focus from the foreign minister’s key message of conflict resolution through dialogue and in accordance with international law and the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a press statement.

The statement came on Sunday in response to the propaganda by the India media that Pakistan foreign minister threatened India over holding a G-20 meeting In the IIOJK.

Recently a clip of the foreign minister—who recently went to the Indian state of Goa to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Foreign Ministers (SCO-CFM)—went viral on social media.

In the clip, responding to a question about India's decision to host the G-20 meeting in the IIOJK while interacting with the Indian media after the SCO-CFM meeting, Bilawal said: “Obviously, we condemn it and at the time, we will give such a response that will be remembered.”

He said India would soon find that “they will be unable to achieve 110% attendance because other people will not compromise on their morals”. A section of the Indian media started presenting this statement as a threat issued by Pakistan.

Rejecting these insinuations, the Foreign Office said in a number of public pronouncements during his recent visit to India, the foreign minister emphasized the critical importance of the relevant UNSC resolutions for a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

“Clearly, he based his case on international law,” it said.

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The spokesperson said journalistic norms must be respected while reporting on sensitive inter-state matters. A number of Indian media outlets had distorted the statement of the foreign minister during his recent visit to India.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the spokesperson said, had already articulated Pakistan’s position on the G-20 Tourism Working Group meeting in the IIOJK in its press release on April 11.

Pakistan had already expressed its strong indignation over India’s decision to hold the G-20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar on May 22-24.

Scheduling of two other meetings of a consultative forum on youth affairs (Y-20) in Leh and Srinagar in the IIOJK was also termed as “equally disconcerting”.

“India’s irresponsible move is the latest in a series of self-serving measures to perpetuate its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir in sheer disregard of the UNSC resolutions and in violation of the principles of the UN Charter and international law.

“Pakistan vehemently condemns these moves,” the earlier press release said.

Such events could not hide the reality of Jammu and Kashmir being an internationally recognized dispute that had remained on the agenda of the UNSC for over seven decades.

“Nor could such activities divert the international community’s attention from India’s brutal suppression of the people of the IIOJK including illegal attempts to change the demographic composition of the occupied territory,” it had said.