Pakistan's credibility depleting faster than its forex reserves, says Jaishankar
2 min read . Updated: 06 May 2023, 07:52 AM IST
PremiumJaishankar called Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari calling a ‘promoter, justifier and a spokesperson of a terror industry’
Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has taken a fresh jibe at Pakistan after the SCO meet. In an unsparing attack, Jaishankar said Pakistan's credibility is depleting faster than even its Forex reserves. Jaishankar also hit at his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari calling him a "promoter, justifier and a spokesperson of a terror industry".
Jaishankar mounted the offensive against Bhutto Zardari after the latter contended that terrorism shouldn't be "weaponised for diplomatic point-scoring", in remarks seen as directed at India.
"Victims of terrorism do not sit together with the perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism," Jaishankar said when asked about the possibility of India and Pakistan working towards combating the menace.
"Victims of terrorism defend themselves to counter acts of terrorism. They call it out, they delegitimise it. And that is what is happening. To come here and preach these hypocritical words as though we are on the same boat. I mean they are committing acts of terrorism," he said.
Slamming Bhutto Zardari for his "weaponisation of terrorism" remarks, Jaishankar said,' It is a very interesting statement because it unconsciously reveals a mindset. What does weaponising something mean?"
"It means that the activity is legitimate and somebody is weaponising it...somebody saying you are weaponising terrorism. That means they think terrorism is legitimate," Jaishankar said.
"We are countering terrorism. we are defending ourselves, we are calling it out, we are exposing it...we are not scoring diplomatic points. We are politically, diplomatically exposing Pakistan before the world," he said.
"As a victim of terrorism, I am completely entitled to do so. That sentence spoke so much about the mindset of that country," he added.
Meanwhile, Bhutto Zardari termed his visit to India to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Foreign Ministers' Summit a "success." He termed Jaishankar's comments about him being a perpetrator of terrorism as a "joke".
"A false narrative is being propagated by the Indian Foreign Minister.. and this narrative has been damaged by my visit to India, my speaking, and my stand," the Secretariat of Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman shared a video of Bilawal saying.