KARACHI: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Friday that leaders of People’s Party, MQM and other parties also faced jails and hardships but they always stood for democracy without resorting to violence. He was addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony of the K-IV water supply project here.
Bilawal Bhutto said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is paying close attention to the development of Sindh, especially Karachi. He said that two major political parties of Karachi voted for the prime minister and his government has a ‘super majority’ in Sindh. He said that the people of Sindh are also pinning their hopes on the Prime Minister to solve their problems. Bilawal said that the K-IV project faced a lot of delays and Karachi needed ‘Shahbaz Speed’ to solve its problems.
Regarding the floods, the Foreign Minister said that concerted efforts are needed to restore people in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, South Punjab and other areas including the city. He said that the floods have damaged 52 percent of Sindh’s educational infrastructure, affecting the education of about 47 percent of the population.
Bilawal met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Chief Minister House here on Friday and discussed the overall political situation of the country. Federal Ministers Syed Naveed Qamar, Syed Faisal Sabzwari, Maryam Aurangzeb, Minister of State Dr. Mossadegh Malik, Sindh Governor Kamran Tesuri, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and MQM leader Dr. Farooq Sattar also participated in the meeting.
Earlier on Thursday, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari informed the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs that the decision to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit meeting in the Indian city of Goa has proved fruitful and positive for Pakistan. He said that as far as the issue of Kashmir is concerned, bilateral issues and multilateral responsibilities between Pakistan and India, my conclusion after the trip is that participating in this event was a fruitful and positive decision. “We thought, we should present Pakistan’s case and point of view not only to Indians, but to other participating countries,” he told the committee. Attending the event was a difficult decision and the Ministry of External Affairs did a lot of work to build consensus in this regard.
The minister said that the former foreign secretary, leaders of coalition parties and other stakeholders were taken on board for their feedback on attending the event in India. He further said that SCO is a multilateral forum and has provided opportunities to meet with world leadership and present Pakistan’s point of view on various points. Bilawal said that another point that was considered for participation in the event was that Pakistan’s all-time friends China and Russia are the founders of this organization. He said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization provided an opportunity to highlight Pakistan’s narrative, as it was India’s aim to misuse this important forum.
He said that Pakistan has effectively responded to the Indian narrative of linking terrorism with Pakistan, Muslims and Kashmiris. “This event gave them an opportunity to understand that I am the son of martyr Ms. Benazir Bhutto who was a victim of terrorism. He further said that the people of Pakistan are the most affected by terrorism.
He added that it is our principled stand that we will not meet our Indian counterpart. He believed that the SCO meeting also provided an opportunity to interact with the Indian public, senior anchors and media persons and counter the Indian narrative of linking terrorism to Pakistan and Muslims. He said that Pakistan will host the SCO conference in 2026-2027 and it is hoped that the Indian counterpart will attend the meeting.
Regarding Afghanistan, he said that terrorist attacks have increased in Pakistan after the interim government of Afghanistan assumed power. The issue of Afghanistan was also discussed with the participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Conference in the sideline meetings. Regarding relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran, he appreciated China’s role in bringing the two countries closer. He further said that China has proved itself as a superpower and a peace maker. He said that better relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia will have positive effects on Pakistan as well. He said that the Indian decision to hold the Group of 20 Youth and Tourism Convention in Indian Occupied Kashmir is condemnable. He said that during his stay in India, he told the Indians that he would not participate 100 percent as the meeting was being held in a disputed area.
