Just one day ahead of Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Goa, Pakistani President Arif Alvi asked his country’s foreign ministry to launch a campaign against India’s decision to hold the G20 summit in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has made no secret about its opposition to holding any G20 proceedings in Kashmir.
Islamabad has been crying hoarse for nearly a year about India hosting the prestigious G20 events in J&K. But only a day ahead of SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting being held in Goa, in which Pakistani FM Bilawal will also participate, Pakistan President’s move to raise Kashmir pitch is uncalled for and condemnable as well. Did he deliberately raise this issue just one day ahead of the SCO conclave in Goa? Is Pakistan indicating to Bilawal to bring up Kashmir during the discussions at SCO meet in Goa? Is there any strategy of Pakistan to try to build the narrative around Kashmir before the SCO FMs meeting begins? The Pakistani President’s letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad asking it to launch a diplomatic campaign against India holding a G20 meeting in Jammu and Kashmir has triggered these questions. Pakistan is aware that even China has joined it in criticising India over holding G20 events in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
With Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang also attending the SCO meeting, Pakistan’s move seems to be an attempt to give some sort of a message to Beijing as well. Pakistan has been lobbying its allies in G20, like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and China to stop the meeting in Srinagar. However, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have not disappointed Pakistan. China skipped the G20 meeting only in Arunachal Pradesh.
While Bilawal is in Goa where he will address his counterparts and will have some bilateral meetings with them on Friday as well, Pakistan seems to have given a fresh push to its propaganda on the Kashmir issue. But the question is whether Bilawal will really raise this issue during his speech. Some foreign policy experts are of the view that Bilawal will not raise any bilateral issue as the SCO is a multilateral forum. No bilateral issues are raised on such platforms. But at the same time, there are instances of Pakistan misusing the multilateral forums to raise the Kashmir issue. Bilawal has raised it at the United Nations several times despite Kashmir not being on the agenda. India had to intervene and counter Pakistan for bringing up the Kashmir issue like this. What in fact annoys Pakistan is that India does not hesitate to raise the issue of terrorism and makes scathing remarks in a veiled reference to Pakistan. But the point here is that terrorism and regional security is very much on the agenda when India raises it. Other member countries of SCO do share concerns that India voices over the growing threat of terrorism in the region. The entire global community is aware that the terror attack in Poonch just hours after Pakistan announced participation of Bilawal in the SCO meeting in Goa, goes to expose only Pakistan’s failure to control and curb terrorist outfits operating from the territory under its control.
So, if India raises terrorists being given safe haven in the neighbourhood, it has solid evidence to establish it. And, the international community remains convinced every time the issue of terrorism in the backdrop of such attacks is raised. In a tweet, captioned “Salaam, from Goa India,” Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said: “Assalamualaikum, we have reached Goa, India on the occasion of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).” Speaking about his schedule for the day, he said, “I will first hold a meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister. Then will hold a meeting with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister. I will attend the dinner hosted for all the foreign ministers and there are one-two interviews lined up in the day.” Going by the messages posted on Twitter, Bilawal Bhutto has not yet indicated anything about Kashmir or any contentious bilateral issues with India. However, all eyes will be on the SCO Foreign Ministers’ conclave on Friday to see what Bilawal brings up in his speech.