Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Goa, India, to attend the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting on May 5, 2023 - Photo Reuters

Bilawal Shows His Mettle in Hostile India

 

Pakistan has legions of aspiring political leaders, but a few of them meet the requirements of an ideal statesperson. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who has accomplished all that Pakistan wanted to from his Goa visit, has exhibited all an ideal statesman needs to be armed with to defend his beleaguered country’s interests around the world in tumultuous times like these.

The scion of the Bhutto family showed incredible composure, maturity, statesmanship, dignity, command on language, and sound knowledge of contemporary issues in his interactions with an increasingly hostile and toxic Indian media that survives and thrives on Pakistan-bashing.

Not only did Bilawal eloquently articulate Pakistan’s viewpoint on various thorny issues between the two arch-foes, but also effectively blunted criticism of Pakistan on the issues of terrorism and religious intolerance by aggressive Indian television anchors with logic.

Instead, he put them on the backfoot by holding up mirror to them, especially on the issue of growing religious intolerance in India.

When confronted with accusations of Pakistan being involved in terrorism, the foreign minister reminded the host of India’s own cross-border terrorism in Pakistan, which has been causing havoc for years. He raised the issues of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was arrested in 2016 from Balochistan and the Samjhota Express blast, which snuffed out 70 lives in 2017.

Bilawal, who is the chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party, however, said that turning issues like terrorism into political point-scoring would not solve the issues at hand and it was time to move beyond emotional rhetoric and political grandstanding to focus on resolving the real issues.

In his official address at the SCO as well as during the interview, Bilawal not only forcefully countered his Indian counterpart’s allegations of cross-border terrorism but urged cooperation among the SCO members instead of weaponizing terrorism for diplomatic point-scoring.

The PPP chairman didn’t shy away from calling out the host’s disregard for facts, pointing out that hate drives a conversation to a point where critical thinking is stifled. He stressed that the countries could not resolve issues if they allowed themselves to be driven by emotions.

In a bold move, the foreign minister had proposed Pakistan, India, and other SCO countries working together to address the issues at hand, emphasizing that it was time to move towards a brighter and more peaceful future. To quote his words, Bilawal proposed creating “our own history” instead of being hostage to history.

At a time of heightened tensions between Pakistan and India, Bilawal showed a level of maturity and patience, and calmly countered the long-fed misinformation that has been circulating for years, explaining the reality of the situation with precision and clarity.

At times, the interviewer seemed to be trying to put words in Bilawal’s mouth or trap him in a corner with questions, but he refused to be drawn into a war of words. Instead, he remained focused on key issues, addressing each point in turn and providing thoughtful responses, demonstrating his understanding of the situation.

As the interview progressed, Bilawal conveyed that Pakistan is genuinely committed to finding a way to resolve the ongoing tensions between the two countries but only after India reviews it actions of August 5, 2019, in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

He also raised the issue of conducting a plebiscite in Kashmir, saying that generations of Kashmiris have been demanding that one thing as it would make things crystal clear.

During the interview, Bilawal criticized India’s new Kashmir policy, stating that it violated the principles of justice and fairness, international laws, UN resolutions and leaves Pakistan wondering if India would honor its commitments in the future. He called it a violation of everything India stands for, reminding that Pakistan cannot ignore the injustice happening in Kashmir.

The foreign minister also questioned the Indian government’s actions during the Gujarat riots, asking whether the then Indian government was truly saving the lives or was up to something else. “Evil exists everywhere in the world, but the question is how do you respond to it,” he said at a point.

Recalling how he himself was a victim of terrorism as a result of his mother’s assassination, he said Benazir Bhutto’s manifestos was based on normalizing relations with India, saying India’s actions on August 2019 have complicated the issues.

Bilawal highlighted the importance of peace and dialogue between the two countries and stressed the need to find a mutually beneficial solution to the imminent issues. While refusing to engage in any verbal sparring, he said “our destiny is peace”. 

The interview received widespread attention, with people from all over the world praising the foreign minister’s composure and diplomacy. In a tweet, former diplomat Abdul Basit said that he was impressed by Bilawal’s interview with the Indian journalist. Basit, who served as Pakistan’s high commissioner to India, said that Bilawal was superb on Kashmir.

“Glad he also raised Kulbhushan Jadhav and the Samjhota Express blast. The way Jaishankar reacted in his press conference only reflected his hubris and frustration,” Basit stated. 

Michael Kugelman, the director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, also tweeted: “There is much criticism of the Pakistan FM’s visit to India for SCO, but he appears to have accomplished what Islamabad sought.”

The leading specialist on Afghanistan, India and Pakistan added that Bilawal participated in the SCO deliberations, held separate sideline meetings with all SCO members except India and multilateral engagement on the side.

Renowned public policy expert, Mosharraf Zaidi tweeted that “Without very much effort -- other than showing up and speaking calmly -- Pakistan’s foreign minister prompted India’s govt and media to show their true colors”.

The positive response from the experts shows that it was possible to have difficult conversations without resorting to hostility or aggression; and that’s what Mr Bhutto did in his visit to India. – The Express Tribune