Friends of Pakistan may skip G20

After China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are likely to skip the G20 meeting India is hosting in Srinagar in a move seen as a blow to Narendra Modi government's efforts to portray normalcy in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

China has already announced it will boycott the meeting on tourism which is starting on Monday (today). If these countries indeed stay away from the meeting it will be seen as a major diplomatic victory for Pakistan.

According to diplomatic sources and information available with the Pakistani authorities, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia may stay away from the controversial meeting in the disputed territory.

Even so, some European countries have also decided to downgrade their participation as only diplomats posted in New Delhi will travel to Srinagar, according to the diplomatic sources.

The Express Tribune first reported that China and Turkey were unlikely to send their delegates to the disputed Kashmir region for the G20 tourism meeting to be held from May 22 to 24.

“China is firmly opposed to holding any kind of G20 meetings in disputed territory, and will not attend such meetings,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Friday. China and Pakistan have both condemned India for holding the event in IIOJK.

The G20 comprises 19 rich nations plus EU. The intergovernmental bloc accounts for 80% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP). Currently, India holds the chair of the grouping for this year.

As the G20 chair, India has organised a series of meetings across the country in the run-up to the summit in New Delhi in September. Countries, having close ties with Pakistan and part of the grouping, include China, Turkey, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

Since India decided to host the tourism meeting in Srinagar, Pakistan launched a diplomatic offensive to counter New Delhi’s move. Pakistan’s efforts achieved partial success as China and Turkey are believed to be not sending their delegates to the Srinagar meeting, according to official sources.

Pakistan is hoping that Saudi Arabia and Indonesia may also follow the suit. Similarly, other countries given the sensitivity of the issue are only sending their diplomats based in New Delhi to the event.

While the Indian government is trying to show “all is well” in the disputed territory, independent experts, including United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues Fernand de Varennes, believe that this can’t brush the issue under the carpet.

De Varennes issued a statement last week, accusing India of seeking to normalise the “brutal and repressive denial of democratic and other rights of Kashmiri Muslims and minorities” by holding the G20 meeting there.

The UN expert said “massive human rights violations” have been reported in Kashmir since it came under New Delhi’s direct rule. “These included torture, extrajudicial killings, denial of political participation rights of Kashmiri Muslims and minorities.”