'Terrorism Is Reality': Pakistan's Former Ministers Call For Dialogue With India, Say 'Why Be So Rigid...'

Islamabad: Former Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has vouched for bilateral talks with India, even as New Delhi ruled out such a possibility during the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad.In an interview with ARY News, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman urged both nations to engage in dialogue on the sidelines of the SCO meeting. “Why be so rigid?” he questioned. “Both countries must think about having a bilateral talk on the sidelines of the Shanghai Commission Organisation (SCO) Summit. A conversation is necessary, whether today or tomorrow. Even if it is not in the context of the SCO, both countries have to resume bilateral talks sooner or later.”

He added, "Terrorism is also a reality, whether they (India) blame us (Pakistan) and we blame RAW (India’s intelligence agency), but the issue exists, so if we engage, we will somehow reach a common point and save precious Indian and Pakistani lives."On Tuesday, Pakistan’s former interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said that there is a “deep appetite” in Pakistan to see improvement in its ties with India. Kakar said Pakistan’s military, political parties and various other segments in the country desire forward movement in relations between New Delhi and Islamabad, but at the same time, there is a realisation of the ground realities. EAM Jaishankar Meets Pakistan PMMeanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif during an informal dinner ahead of the SCO meet. The two leaders exchanged pleasantries.On Wednesday, he addressed the SCO council of heads of government meeting in Islamabad. While speaking at the 23rd CHG meeting, Jaishankar underlined the importance of commitment to the grouping's charter, disruption of various kinds such as conflicts, climate change, among others.

Highlighting the importance of commitment to SCO's charter, Jaishankar said, "We meet at a difficult time in world affairs. Two major conflicts are underway, each with its own global repercussions. The Covid pandemic has left many in the developing world deeply devastated. Disruptions of various kinds – ranging from extreme climate events to supply chain uncertainties and financial volatility – are impacting growth and development." He added, "I urge you to reflect on Article 1 that spells out the goals and tasks of the SCO. Let me summarize it for our collective consideration. The objective is to strengthen mutual trust, friendship, and good neighbourliness. It is to develop multi-faceted cooperation, especially of a regional nature. It is to be a positive force in terms of balanced growth, integration and conflict prevention. The Charter was equally clear about what the key challenges were. And these were primarily three, that the SCO was committed to combatting: one, terrorism; two, separatism; and three, extremism."The last visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan was in December 2015 when Sushma Swaraj attended the Heart of Asia conference. The relationship between the two nations has been strained since India's airstrike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Balakot in February 2019, following the Pulwama attack.