ISLAMABAD , May 6, 2023: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday lashed out the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for its attempt to make Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s trip to Indian for Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting controversial.
Earlier in the day, the foreign minister returned to Pakistan from Indian city of Goa after attending SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting. He is the first high profile Pakistani personality to visit the neighbouring country in 12 years.
Following the foreign minister’s plan to visit India, PTI started criticising him, saying it would be disrespectful to the sacrifices made by the Kashmiris.
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry stated in a Twitter post that prioritising cooperation with India while pushing the Kashmir issue aside was part of an international agenda.
As Bilawal Bhutto landed in Pakistan, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar told media on Saturday said the minister had earned nothing but humiliation during his visit to India.
Responding to the PTI criticism of the foreign minister, PM Shehbaz said: “It is deeply troubling how the PTI tried to generate a controversy around Pakistan’s participation in the SCO’s meeting in India”.
“It shouldn’t be surprising though as Imran Niazi has had no qualms about imperiling the country’s vital foreign policy interests in the past too. This is what they did when they were in power. For the PTI, everything including the conduct of interstate relations is a plaything,” he added.
Upon his arrival in Pakistan on Saturday, FM Bilawal Bhutto said Pakistan’s decision to attend the moot in India was to maintain its presence at every forum, raise voice for Kashmiris and give a proper response to the one-sided narrative of India to declare every Muslim person a terrorist.
He said his visit was very successful as he presented Pakistan’s point of view on Kashmir and other issues clearly and firmly.