New Delhi, August 31, 2024, The Europe Today: A day after Pakistan confirmed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been formally invited to the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, declared on Friday that the “era of uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan is over.” The minister made the remarks during a book launch event in Delhi, signaling a significant shift in India’s diplomatic stance towards its neighbor.
Jaishankar emphasized that continuous dialogue with Pakistan is no longer feasible, asserting that “actions have consequences.” He specifically addressed the contentious issue of Jammu and Kashmir, stating, “So far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, I think [Article] 370 is done,” referring to the abrogation of the article that granted special status to the region.
The minister also questioned the potential for future relations between India and Pakistan, responding to a suggestion at the event that India might be satisfied with the current status quo. Jaishankar’s reply, “maybe yes, maybe no,” underscored India’s proactive stance, stating, “What I do want to say is that we are not passive, and whether events take a positive or a negative direction, either way, we will react.”
On the same day, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary, Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi, addressed the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir during a meeting held on the sidelines of the 50th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Cameroon. Qazi informed the Contact Group about the ongoing situation in the region, highlighting India’s attempts to solidify its control over Occupied Kashmir in violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan reported that the OIC Contact Group reiterated its unwavering support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. The group also issued a joint statement, unanimously asserting that lasting peace and stability in South Asia hinges on resolving the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
Pakistan is scheduled to host the SCO heads of government meeting on October 15-16 in Islamabad, amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
