File photo of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday urged the U.S. and China to work together in the fight against climate change, stressing that the threat could only be tackled through global cooperation.
In an address at Washington’s Woodrow Wilson Center, he said there was no other conflict that was more important than the threat posed by climate change. “This is a time of multilateralism. This is not a time for war. You cannot lecture us on climate and green energy while you are continuously engaged in pointless conflicts,” he said. “We will all fight among ourselves if there’s a planet left to fight over,” he said, adding that developed countries helping poorer nations face the consequences of global warming was nothing more than “climate justice.”
A day earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a meeting with Bhutto-Zardari, had urged Pakistan to engage with China for restructuring its debt to help it tackle the devastation caused by floods. Responding to the criticism, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin had said Beijing was already providing assistance for the flood victims and would also help rebuild thousands of homes in the affected areas. Overall, though, the U.S. remains the largest donor to flood relief and rehabilitation efforts, having pledged or provided roughly $60 million in aid.
Addressing Blinken’s advice, the foreign minister said “all-weather friend” China had always helped Pakistan in difficult times and their relations were multi-faceted. He said the Government of Pakistan was taking efforts to rehabilitate flood victims, noting the international community must support the country at this critical time. He said the initial floods had affected more than 33 million people, while the situation was worsening now with the spread of water-borne diseases.
To a question on the appointment of the next Army chief, Bhutto-Zardari said the Prime Minister of Pakistan has the authority to appoint the army chief. To another question, he said India had not offered Pakistan any help in connection with flood relief, nor does Islamabad expect it. However, he stressed, Islamabad seeks constructive relations with all its neighbors.
“This is a very different India. Mr. Modi is not Manmohan Singh, or even Mr. Vajpayee,” he said, reminding his American audience that Modi was refused a U.S. visa until he became the prime minister. “We want a manageable and responsible relationship with India,” he said, adding that he was not surprised by India’s reaction to the U.S. decision to give $450 million to upgrade Pakistan’s fleet of F-16 aircraft. “Obviously, Indians are going to be upset, let them be,” he added.
To a question, the foreign minister said democracy was better than military dictatorship in any form. “We believe in democratic traditions. And we will not support undemocratic measures,” he said, adding a democratically-elected government believes in the freedom of the media.