India and Pakistan trade blame for frosty ties after SCO meeting

Reuters :
India and Pakistan each blamed the other for their frosty relations on Friday and reiterated entrenched diplomatic positions on issues such as Kashmir and terrorism, suggesting no thaw in ties is likely anytime soon.

The foreign ministers of the nuclear-armed rivals spoke bitterly at separate press conferences after a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) regional bloc in the Indian coastal state of Goa.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari told reporters that India’s decision to scrap the special status of the disputed region of Kashmir in 2019 had undermined the environment for holding talks between the neighbours.

“The onus is on India to create a conducive environment for talks,” Bhutto-Zardari said.

India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar responded by saying Kashmir’s special status was “history” and suggesting that Pakistan backed terrorists in Kashmir.

In comments in an interview to India Today TV channel broadcast later, Bhutto-Zardari said Islamabad was willing to engage and address any concerns New Delhi might have but New Delhi will also have to address Islamabad’s concerns.

Both countries claim Kashmir in full but rule only part of it, and they have fought two of their three wars over control of the Himalayan region.