Bilawal calls on India to 'review' 2019 steps for meaningful engagement

• Bilawal says Pakistan's stand on Kashmir in unchanged. 
• Asks India to reverse 2019 action on Kashmir for meaningful dialogue.
• Says his presence in SCO shows Pakistan's commitment to forum.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that the ball is in India's court to create a conducive environment for negotiations with Pakistan. 

During an interview with the British broadcasting organisation, BBC, on the sidelines of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Indian state of Goa, Bhutto emphasised that Pakistan's position is contingent on India's reversal of the serious measures taken in August 2019. 

Bilateral interaction will remain challenging until this action is taken, he said. "Until India reviews the 2019 steps, meaningful and bilateral interaction is difficult," he noted.

The visit by Bilawal to India is the first by any Pakistani foreign minister to Delhi in over a decade and has garnered a lot of media attention in both countries. The two nuclear-capable countries have fought three wars, share frosty relations, and have downgraded their diplomatic ties.

The "onus" is on India to create a conducive environment for talks, said the foreign minister, adding that New Delhi's decision to end the special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 undermined the environment for holding talks between the neighbours.

When asked about his presence at the the SCO conference in India, Bhutto-Zardari said that his physical presence sends a clear message of Pakistan's regard for the SCO forum. However, he clarified that while the remaining events are technically part of the SCO, they are not as official as the Council of Foreign Ministers and Heads of State meetings. 

It was important for the foreign minister of Pakistan to represent the country at this crucial forum and articulate the country's position, he added.

Bhutto emphasised that Pakistan's position on Kashmir and bilateral relations has remained unchanged. He asserted that his country is committed to resolving these issues through peaceful negotiations, and urged India to reciprocate this commitment.