Wake up and smell the coffee: EAM Jaishankar slams Pakistani FM Bhutto on abrogation of Article 370 in J&K

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Hitting back Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto after commented on the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu & Kashmir on the sidelines of the Shanghai Corporation Organization (SCO), External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar advised the former to “Wake up and smell the coffee, as Article 370 is history.”

Bhutto’s statement marked a “violation of international commitment”.

Also coming down hard on the neighbouring country over its falling global standing, the External Affairs Minister said, “Pakistan’s credibility is depleting faster than its forex reserves.”

Rebutting Bhutto’s comment on the upcoming G20 conference in Srinagar, Jaishankar further said, “Pakistan has nothing to do with G20 and also not with Srinagar.”

Meanwhile, the spectre of terrorism surfaced again in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, with the Army engaged in a fierce standoff with Pakistan-backed terrorists in the Rajouri district. The gunbattle broke out on a day Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was in Goa to take part in the SCO meet.

Five soldiers lost their lives in the anti-terror operation in the Kandi area of Rajouri on Thursday.

“Victims of terrorism do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism. Victims of terrorism defend themselves, counter acts of terrorism, they call it out, they legitimise it and that is exactly what is happening. To come here and preach these hypocritical words as though we are on the same boat,” Jaishankar said, hitting out at Pakistan.

Jaishankar said ‘victims of terrorism’ fight terrorism.

Responding to a question from a Pakistani journalist on whether a visit by the foreign minister of the neighbouring country after a long time will help normalise relations with India, the EAM said “India and Pakistan are not on the same boat”. (TOI)