Pakistan opposes UNSC membership to India: Pak FM Bilawal Bhutto

Islamabad, Oct 1: Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Thursday that his country opposes United Nations (UN) reforms that expand the Security Council to bring India to the UN high table. He said that his country opposes any reforms that expand the UN Security Council to bring India into the fold.

 

He made these remarks while addressing a press conference at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington. Pakistan’s UN mission and its allies have worked to foil such efforts repeatedly and even quite recently as well, The News quoted Bilawal as saying. He added that the UN reforms are a possibility but expanding the Security Council membership would not be a correct reform.

 

Further, he expressed willingness to work on the issue of climate crisis would with India and other countries. "With all the caveats that I have already given, principally it's right, that on climate change issue we should work together. When I urge the US and China to work together on this, I should have the moral strength to admit that whatever the differences, India and Pakistan should work together on this topic too," Bilawal was quoted as saying by The News International.

 

At the recently concluded United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), India gained lot of support and praise from several developing and developed nations for its economic and foreign policy. Several countries even backed India's UNSC bid at the General Assembly.

 

During his address at UNGA, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as usual raked upp the Kashmir issue. "We look for peace with all our neighbours, including India, sustainable peace and stability in South Asia, however, remains contingent upon a just and lasting solution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute," Sharif said at the UN General Assembly.

 

"India must take credible steps to create enabling environment for constructive engagement. We are neighbours and we are there forever, the choice is ours whether we live in peace or keep on fighting with each other," he added.

India has stood firm on its long-standing position on Kashmir that the entire Union territory is an integral part of India. Since the Shehbaz Sharif government's arrival, Pakistan have been trying to enhance ties with India but the Indian government has maintained its position that terrorism and talks, will not go hand-in-hand.