Bilawal to attend SCO FMs meeting in India

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will represent Pakistan at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting being held on May 4-5 in Goa, India, announced the Foreign Office on Thursday.

The Foreign Office received the invitation from Bilawal’s Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar in January this year. India took over the SCO presidency in September last year. “The foreign minister is attending the SCO CFM meeting at the invitation of the current Chair of SCO CFM Dr S Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs of the Republic of India. Our participation in the meeting reflects Pakistan’s commitment to the SCO Charter and processes and the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities,” announced the Foreign Office Spokeswoman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch.

Emphasising that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s visit was not a bilateral visit, the spokesperson said the minister had also attended the last meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in July last year in Tashkent.

Earlier in 2011, it was another foreign minister from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Ms Hina Rabbani Khar who had been invited for a bilateral visit to India by her counterpart SM Krishna when there was a thaw in bilateral relations.

During the weekly media briefing when asked about possible meetings between Bilawal and Prime Minister Modi and his counterpart Dr S Jaishankar, Baloch responded, “I have always said that when decisions are taken, we will make formal announcements. Now that this decision has been taken, we will be making preparations for the visit. In the coming days as decisions are taken, we will be making further announcements. I must underline, however, that the upcoming visit of the foreign minister is not a bilateral visit but a visit in the SCO context.”

To a query about the possibility of journalists visiting Goa for the SCO meeting, the spokeswoman said it was a multilateral event and there was a procedure for the participation of delegations and for journalists. “We will share those details with journalists so that you know how to register yourself and participate”, she added.

Turning to the end of Ramazan, the spokeswoman said it was the time to remember our brothers and sisters in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). “Even during this holy month, the occupation authorities have continued to impose curbs and restrictions on the freedom of religion.

“Last week, the occupation authorities stopped Kashmiris from offering Friday prayers at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid. Similarly, there were heavy deployments of security forces around the mosques on ‘Shab-e-Qadr’, which is observed on the holy night of the 27th of Ramazan. We urge the Indian authorities to bring an end to the restrictions imposed on Kashmiris that prevent them from freely practicing their religion.”

Pakistan, she said, would continue to raise its voice against these grave and systematic human rights violations in IIOJ&K. “We will also continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters for the just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions.”

As fighting rages in Sudan with Pakistan’s mission also taking a hit, Bilawal in a tweet said, “We are closely following the worrying situation in Sudan. The safety and security of Pakistanis living in the country remain our top priority. The Pakistan Embassy in Khartoum is in constant touch with Pakistanis in Sudan. I’ve directed the ambassador to extend every possible help to all those in need.”

FO spokesperson meanwhile said Pakistan would continue to follow the developments in Sudan and was closely monitoring the safety and security of the Pakistani community there. “Our embassy in Sudan remains in close contact with our community and will continue to facilitate them there. The number of Pakistanis is somewhere around 1,500. Our embassy has advised them to stay indoors for their own safety in view of the developments that are taking place in the country right now. The well-being of Pakistanis remains a key priority of the Government of Pakistan,” she said.

Commenting for the first time officially on the return of Pakistan’s Head of Mission in Afghanistan Ubaid ur Rehman Nizamani to Kabul, the spokeswoman said this was done after assurances from Kabul about the safety of Pakistan’s mission and its diplomats. “He has returned to Kabul and resumed his responsibilities. This was made possible after close consultation with the Afghan interim government. In his conversation with the acting Afghan Minister for Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi on the 15th of April, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also reiterated the necessity and responsibility of the Afghan interim government towards the safety and security of our diplomatic missions and personnel in Afghanistan. Ambassador Nizamani and his team have our best wishes and support”, she said.

Meanwhile, responding to a question during a press conference at the Zardari House, Bilawal said he will visit India to attend the SCO meeting adding that Pakistan was committed to the implementation of SCO Charter. Bilawal said he will contact all the political parties before visiting India. “I will take feedback from political parties and devise my strategy in its light,” he said.