Last Update: May 22, 2023, 10:22 AM IST
Bilawal Bhutto led the Pakistani delegation to the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting in Goa on May 4-5, 2023. (AP/File)
Bilawal Bhutto reached PoK’s Muzaffarabad city on Sunday on a three-day visit and called the G20 meeting in Srinagar a violation of international law.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is on a visit to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to protest India’s holding of the G20 meeting in the Jammu and Kashmir capital.
Bilawal Bhutto reached PoK’s Muzaffarabad city on Sunday on a three-day tour and called the G20 meeting in Srinagar a violation of international law.
“India cannot suppress the voice of Kashmiris through a conference. Bhutto reportedly said, by violating the UN resolution, it is not possible for India to play an effective role in the world.
Pakistani Foreign Minister said that at a time when India is holding G20 meeting in Kashmir, he has been invited to address the gathering in PoK.
The third meeting of the G20 Tourism Working Group is starting in Srinagar from Monday. According to officials, the three-day meeting will see the highest participation of foreign delegates as compared to the previous two meetings.
Pakistan has called the decision to hold the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Kashmir a “self-serving move”.
Bhutto will address a special session of the PoK assembly on Monday and take part in a protest rally in Bagh on Tuesday.
“At a time when India is holding a conference in Kashmir, I have been invited to address the PoK assembly,” the minister said.
Earlier this month, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended the Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Goa.
The latest G20 meeting is the first such international event in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, when it was made a union territory. The first G20 Tourism Working Group meeting was held in Gujarat and the second in West Bengal.
The meeting in Srinagar will be attended by over 60 delegates, although not all G20 member states will attend. G20 member states, invited countries, international organizations and industry stakeholders are expected to participate in the event.
Singapore has the largest delegation among the member countries participating in the meeting, which also includes its High Commissioner Simon Wong.
Under India’s G20 tourism track, the Tourism Working Group is working on five interconnected priority areas – Green Tourism, Digitalisation, Skills, Tourism MSMEs and Destinations.
(With inputs from Shailendra Vangu)
