Pakistan's former Foreign minister and chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on Tuesday admitted that his country has faced "persistent setbacks" in raising the Kashmir issue at international forums.
Bilawal Bhutto, who is currently heading a Pakistani delegation to the United States as part of the government's diplomatic outreach to counter India's narrative on Operation Sindoor and terrorism emanating from Pakistan, was addressing a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York.
"As far as the hurdles we face within the UN and in general, as far as the Kashmir cause is concerned, that still exists," Bhutto said.
Bhutto, in his interactions with UN officials and diplomats, said that there was "receptiveness" on issues such as water disputes and terrorism, but not on Kashmir.
Pakistan has historically tried to paint the unrest and terrorism in Kashmir as an offset of a humanitarian crisis while denying India's allegations of sponsoring and abetting terrorism from its soil against Indian citizens. Pakistan's attempts have also been aimed at internationalizing the Kashmir issue which has thus far failed to achieve.
India has consistently maintained that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. India has also refused to engage in any dialogue with Pakistan unless it takes significant and credible action against terror infrastructure across the country. It has also made it abundantly clear that dialogue between the two nations will only be limited to Pakistan's illegal occupation of Kashmir, referred to as PoK.
Bhutto's visit to the US coincides with the visit of the Indian delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor to Washington D.C. Ahead of his visit, Tharoor slammed Pakistan for failing to act against terror organisations operating from its soil and the state support to these outfits.
The real problem in dealing with Pakistan, Tharoor said in Brazil before departing for the US, was not in the language but finding a common vision for decency and peace.
"We can talk to them in Hindustani. We can talk to them in Punjabi. We can talk to them in English. There is no problem in finding common ground with Pakistan. The problem is finding a common vision for decency, for peace. We want to be left in peace, to grow and develop. They don't want to leave us alone. They want to harass us. They want to undermine us," he told PTI.
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