Pakistan’s attempt to “politicise” a humanitarian issue by its “unwarranted” statement on Kashmir during the SAARC nations video conference on coronavirus reflected “very poorly” on it, Government sources said on Sunday.
The underlying message of the video conference was unitedly taking on the virus, but Pakistan used the occasion to raise the Kashmir issue, calling for immediate lifting of the “lockdown” there to allow disease containment measures. Pakistan chose to be “churlish” and used the video conference for political point scoring, the sources said.
Pakistan sent their State Minister of Health Zafar Mirza who was uncomfortable while speaking, they said. Pakistan raising the matter reflected “very poorly” on their dealing with the humanitarian issue, the sources said. “Raising the issue was unwarranted and out of context. Pakistan attempted to politicise a humanitarian issue,” a government source said.
India could have kept Pakistan out of the video conference, but as it was a humanitarian issue, the country was invited, the sources said.
“Every leader responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call, but Pakistan chose to send its health minister which reflected its lack of seriousness,” the source said.