TASHKENT: Pakistani Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who is currently attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting, said that Pakistan has no intention of holding bilateral meeting with India.
Bilawal said that the Islamophobia statements of Indian officials are major hurdles in the way of holding bilateral parleys.
Bilawal held six bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of Central Asian countries on the sidelines of the conference. The conference is being held in connection with preparations for the SCO Heads of State meeting being held in September this year.
Bilawal held meetings with his counterparts from Afghanistan, China, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Bilawal further stated, “There are no plans of any meetings between Indian and Pakistani prime ministers in September.”
He said that both India and Pakistan are part of the SCO and the two countries are only engaged in the context of the broad-based activities of the organisation.
The foreign minister said: “India is our neighbouring country. While one can decide on a lot of things, one cannot choose its neighbours, therefore, we should get used to living with them.”
Bilawal recalled that after 2019, constructive dialogue with India became difficult, while statements based on Islamophobia by Indian officials are further creating hurdles in dialogue.
