The diplomatic landscape between India and Pakistan continues to be marked by tension, evident in a recent resurfacing of a video featuring a heated exchange between the two countries’ foreign ministers.
The video showcases India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s sharp criticism of Pakistan’s former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, delivered during a press conference last year. During a media briefing on May 5, 2023, following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa, Jaishankar responded to a question about Bilawal’s visit.
Jaishankar had then labeled Bilawal as a ‘spokesperson of terrorism industry’, adding that his positions were ‘called out and countered’ at the SCO meeting. The minister further criticized Pakistan’s ‘depleting credibility’ and emphasized that ‘Terrorism cannot be destiny. A country, which does terrorism, cannot talk about peace in the same breath.’
This statement didn’t go unnoticed by Bilawal, who defended himself by saying, ‘We ourselves are the victims of terrorism.’ He reportedly called Jaishankar’s comments a ‘joke’ and asserted, ‘This country knows me, have I once even in my political history accidentally sat down with a terrorist?’
The video resurfaced recently, days after Jaishankar concluded his meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in Islamabad. His visit, the first by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nine years, was a significant step towards engaging with the neighboring nation despite ongoing strain in ties.
It’s important to note that relations between India and Pakistan have been strained for decades, with various incidents escalating tensions. The 2019 Balakot airstrike by India in response to the Pulwama terror attack, and the subsequent revocation of special powers in Jammu and Kashmir, further deteriorated relations between the two countries.
Jaishankar’s visit to Islamabad was seen as a step towards potential de-escalation, but the resurfacing of the video serves as a reminder of the deep-rooted issues and mistrust between the two nations. The situation remains fragile, and any future dialogue will need to address the underlying concerns of both sides.