SCO Foreign Ministers' Meeting: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that Article 370 is history and sooner the people realise it, the better it is.
Responding to a question from reporters at the conclusion of the SCO foreign ministers' meeting in Goa, Jaishankar said, "...wake up and smell the coffee. 370 is history. The sooner people realise it, the better it is."
"To your question related to abrogation of Article 370, I'm giving you an answer in English because I have a phrase... wake up and smell the coffee, 370 is history... sooner people realise it, the better (Aapka jo 370 wala sawal tha... mei aapko angrezi mei jawab de raha hu... 370 is history... sooner people realise it, the better)," Jaishankar said.
When asked to respond on Pakistan, its involvment in G20 and Kashmir, Jaishankar, "I said they (Pakistan) have nothing to do with G20. I will also say that they have nothing to do with Srinagar. There is only one issue to discuss on Kashmir which is when does Pakistan vacate its illegal occupation of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir."
Earlier during the day, in a hard-hitting attack on his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said as a "promoter, justifier and a spokesperson" of the terrorism industry, his position on the menace was called out at the SCO meeting.
On Bhutto Zardari's comments on tackling terrorism, Jaishankar said Pakistan's credibility in dealing with is depleting even faster than their forex reserves.
Asked whether there could be talks between India and Pakistan on combating the menace, the external affairs minister said, "Victims of terrorism do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism.
Jaishankar also asserted that Jammu and Kashmir "was, is and will" always be part of India.
The external affairs minister said Bhutto Zardari came to India as foreign minister of an SCO member state and it is part of multilateral diplomacy.
"Do not see it as anything more than that," he added.
On the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Jaishankar said it was made very clear that connectivity is good for progress, but it cannot violate the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states.
(With inputs from PTI)
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