External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asked his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to “wake up and smell the coffee” in response to the latter’s remark on the abrogation of Article 370 during the SCO meeting in Goa on Friday and asserted that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and will” always be part of India.
Speaking at the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held in Benaulim, Goa, Zardari raised the issue of “violation of international law” which was seen as an apparent reference to Kashmir and the abrogation of Article 370.
Responding to the statement, external affairs minister Jaishankar urged Pakistan to “wake up and smell the coffee.” He said, “370 is history. The sooner people realise it, the better it is.”
#WATCH | On a question on abrogation of Article 370, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, "…wake up and smell the coffee. 370 is history. The sooner people realise it, the better it is." pic.twitter.com/Enbv4nu7dt
— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2023
“There is only one issue to discuss in Kashmir and that is regarding the illegally held Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,” he said. Jaishankar asserted that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and will” always be part of India.
In his address, the Pakistan foreign minister talked about the need for ensuring respect for universally recognised principles and said, “unilateral and illegal measures by States in violation of international law and Security Council resolutions run counter to the SCO objectives.” He further said, “We need to be unambiguous in keeping our commitments and charting out a new future for our people. One that is not based on conflict preservation but on conflict resolution.”
The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India announced withdrawing special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories in August 2019.
Asked whether there could be talks between India and Pakistan on combating the menace, the external affairs minister said, “Victims of terrorism do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism.