Islamabad: Following United States and India’s joint statement mentioning Pakistan, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Islamabad shouldn’t be “Insecure” about it but advised big powers not to make “Terrorism victim of geopolitics”. In an address to National Assembly, Bilawal said that Foreign Office would issue “Detailed policy statement” on recent US-India joint statement that mentioned Pakistan. However, he shared some “Observatory notes” on issue on floor of lower house of Parliament. He told parliamentarians that he believes it is “Important for Pakistan to stay away from world politics and focus on itself”.  He added once political stability and economic issues are resolved, then Pakistan can achieve its “International targets in world”.

“I don’t believe there is any reason for Pakistan to be insecure about its relationship with world or its bilateral partnership with America as result of increasingly close cooperation between US and India,” he said. He added that Pakistan was standing on its own feet yesterday and is still standing today. Pakistan would move forward on its own as per people’s aspirations, not because in US-India joint statement, “Terrorism was mentioned and Pakistan would take action”.

He reminded world that Pakistan is most affected nation by terrorism, even if casualties of India, US, Iran and rest of world is counted. “Due to our national security and people’s future, we want to fight terrorism. We have before on people’s mandate we took up this issue in 2008 and defeated them,” Bilawal said.

“No one is focused on terrorism. It is very easy to add that “There should be work on terrorism” in your statement.” “We believe that terrorism is such an issue that big powers should not make it controversial. As far as fighting menace of terrorism in world is concerned, Pakistan can only do it if its international partners take it seriously if they decide not to play geo politics on terrorism.” He recalled that it was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who oversaw killings of thousands of Muslims and rape of Muslim women in Gujarat during his tenure as Chief Minister of state.

Published in The Daily National Courier, June, 24 2023

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