Bilawal Bhutto Pitches For Talks With India Amid Jaishankar's Historic Visit to Pakistan

Islamabad: Amid the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meet, former Foreign Minister of Pakistan and Pakistan People's Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called for bilateral talks with India, despite External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar denying any such possibility.

News agency ANI reported the Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while coversing with ARY News said that both the nations should hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

"Why be so rigid, both countries must think about having a bilateral talk on the sidelines of the Shanghai Commission Organisation (SCO) Summit. A conversation is necessary, whether today or tomorrow. Even if it is not in the context of the SCO, both countries have to resume bilateral talks sooner or later," ANI citing ARY News quoted Bhutto as saying.

Even before embarking on Pakistan visit, EAM Jaishankar had already denied any possibility of bilateral talks during the SCO meet.

Meanwhile, Jaishankar arrived in Pakistan to attend the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on Tuesday.

The former Pak Foreign Minister said that both countries have their opinions on differences but why should we forget that Pakistan and India are the two most-stressed countries due to climate change.

"Terrorism is also a reality, whether they (India) blame us ( Pakistan ) and we blame RAW (India's intelligence agency), but the issue exists, so if we engage, we will somehow reach a common point and save precious Indian and Pakistani lives," Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was quoted as saying.

Zardari added that the future of both countries will not pardon us if we do not engage on issues like climate change.

The two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2024 began in Islamabad, capital city of Pakistan , on October 15. The summit's theme, "Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue; Striving towards a Sustainable Peace and Prosperity," reflects a focus on collaboration and progress.

The SCO member countries will be represented by the prime ministers of China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as the vice president of Iran and the external affairs minister of India.

Key agenda includes regional security and counter-terrorism efforts, bolstering connectivity networks for trade and investment, fostering economic cooperation and addressing climate change concerns.

(With ANI inputs)