Jaishankar refers to Pakistan's Bilawal Bhutto as 'spokesperson of terrorism industry'

In a scathing attack on Friday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar slammed Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for his "weaponizing terrorism" remarks, saying it means "they (Pakistan) think terrorism is legitimate" and that India is politically and diplomatically exposing Pakistan as a victim of cross-border terrorism.

Speaking after the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Goa on Friday, Jishankar said, "As a Foreign Minister of an SCO member state, Mr Bhutto Zardari was treated accordingly. As a promoter, justifier, and spokesperson of a terrorism industry, which is the mainstay of Pakistan, his positions were called out and countered, including at the SCO meeting itself."

Pakistan’s Credibility is Depleting Even Faster Than Their Forex Reserves

Dr S Jaishankar on Pakistan's Bilawal Bhutto

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In response to Bilawal Bhutto's remarks at the SCO meeting on not getting "caught up in weaponizing terrorism for diplomatic point scoring," Indian foreign minister Jaishankar said, "The weaponization. It's a very interesting statement because it unconsciously reveals a mindset. What does weaponizing something mean? It means that the activity is legitimate and somebody is weaponizing it. So you say you are weaponizing trade, you are weaponizing technology. Somebody says you are weaponizing terrorism, which means they think terrorism is legitimate, and that we should not weaponize it. That is normal."

"Okay, now what are we doing? We are countering ourselves. Countering terrorism? We are defending ourselves. We are calling it out. We are exposing it... So, to me, we are not scoring diplomatic points. We are politically and diplomatically, exposing Pakistan to the world. And as a victim of terrorism, I'm completely entitled to do so," Jaishankar added.

He said India has every right to defend itself from cross-border terrorism."What do you mean we should not weaponize terrorism? That means, as a victim, I'm supposed to put up with it. So you not only commit terrorism, but you say, oh, please, do not even speak about it? Come on. So to me, that sentence, it spoke so much about a mindset of that country that you can all see for yourselves," he added.

Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar referred to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the "promoter, justifier, and spokesperson of a terrorism industry" in a statement to the media.

"Victims of terrorism do not sit together with its perpetrators to discuss terrorism," EAM Jaishankar said.
Jaishankar's remarks come on the same day that five Indian Army personnel were killed in the line of duty while participating in an operation to uncover terrorists hiding in a forest close to Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who is in India to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Goa on Friday, said that the talks between India and Pakistan were hurt by the former's 2019 decision to end the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir territory.