‘Bipin’s pointless accusation mirrors BJP-RSS mindset’

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday advised Indian Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat against threatening Pakistan and making “pointless accusations of extremist ideology”.

Foreign Office Spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said such ‘belligerent statements’ from India's senior military leadership were reflective of how the BJP-RSS mindset, "a dangerous mix of extremist ideology, hegemonic ambitions and obsession with Pakistan", had permeated the Indian state institutions.

Rawat expressed apprehensions that Pakistan might create trouble for India benefiting from its military standoff with China on the northern borders.

There were reports of shots being fired at the China-India border on Thursday afternoon, even as the foreign ministers of the two countries were to meet in Moscow on the sidelines of the SCO meeting.

“We find the threat from Pakistan will mainly be in the form of a proxy war, butshould any threat develop along our northern borders, Pakistan could take advantage of that and create trouble for us on the northern border,” Rawat said while speaking at a conference.

He ‘warned’ Pakistan against any such misadventure, as it would suffer heavy losses if it did so. Chaudhri ridiculed Bipin and pointed out that such belligerent statements from the Indian military leadership had exposed the BJP-RSS mindset.

He said in response to any geopolitical or military setback, the Indian government tended to double down on its "miscalculation and bellicose rhetoric" instead of learning from its mistakes.

"India’s defence capabilities have been embarrassingly exposed to the world not long ago. Such belligerent rhetoric has accomplished nothing for India other than conflict and humiliation," he pointed out.

Chaudhri advised that rather than whipping up anti-Pakistan sentiments, the Indian leadership should focus on peaceful resolution of outstanding disputes, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir dispute as per international law and the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

Meanwhile, Thursday also saw the Foreign Office summoning a senior Indian diplomat to register Pakistan’s protest over the latest ceasefire violations by the Indian border forces along the Line of Control (LoC), which left three civilians seriously injured on the night of September 8.

In Moscow, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told the members of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Thursday that cooperation should drive international politics and not confrontation.

“Pakistan believes in the centrality of Shanghai spirit and the SCO exists as a beacon of hope. In today's environment, full of zero-sum prophecies, it is cooperation not confrontation that should drive international politics”, he tweeted.

Qureshi said any unilateral and illegal measures to change the status of disputed territories "run counter to the SCO's objective of amity in the region and must be opposed resolutely". The minister said he had emphasized peaceful resolution of outstanding disputes as per the UNSC resolutions.

After having flattened the COVID-19 curve in what the foreign minister said was to become a global best practice, he officered to share Pakistan’s strategy to the SCO member states as this was a common threat.

He said stability in Afghanistan "is vital for regional prosperity" and was discussed during the meeting. "Pakistan has assiduously supported efforts for peace and reconciliation that is Afghan-led and Afghan-owned," said the foreign minister.

A statement from Moscow said the SCO-CFM would consider more than 20 documents for subsequent adoption in the SCO Council of Heads of State. It will also adopt a joint communiqué reflecting member states’ unified stance on important regional and international issues.

Qureshi held a meeting with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of SCO Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Moscow. This was the second meeting between both foreign ministers within last three weeks. Bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest came under discussion.

Qureshi expressed resolve to implement the consensus reached during the Second Round of Strategic Dialogue between the foreign ministers of Pakistan and China held in Hainan last month.

He underscored that Pakistan and China were “all-weather strategic cooperative partners” and remain committed to promoting peace, stability, and development in the region. It was underlined that BRI and SCO complement each other through enhancing regional connectivity, promoting trade and deepening people-to-people exchanges.

Qureshi reiterated that Pakistan remained committed to “One China policy” and stood firmly behind China on the core issues of its national interest. He also emphasized that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was important for peace and stability in the region and beyond. He reaffirmed that an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process was critical to restoring regional peace and stability.

Qureshi emphasized that India’s expansionist and unilateral actions, particularly since 5 August 2019, had been imperiling regional peace and security. He underlined that BRI and CPEC would contribute positively to post-COVID economic recovery. He said Pakistan and China were taking relevant measures, which will help timely completion of CPEC projects.