1. No bilateral breakthroughs were expected or occurred between Pakistan and India at the SCO foreign ministers’ conclave in Goa.
2. The Indian political establishment keeps harping on Pakistan’s alleged role in promoting militancy, but infiltration across the LoC has decreased.
3. Decision-makers in Pakistan should adopt a wiser, more pragmatic diplomatic course to make a strong case for Kashmiri rights internationally, while both sides should come to the negotiating table without stringent preconditions.
The article titled "Goa takeaways" published in Dawn.com discusses the recent SCO foreign ministers' conclave held in Goa, India. The author highlights that no bilateral breakthroughs were expected between Pakistan and India at the event, and none occurred. However, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's attendance at the multilateral moot in India was a positive sign that Pakistan is interested in interacting with states in its larger neighbourhood.
The article notes that it was highly unlikely for both countries to give up their respective positions on key bilateral issues, particularly Kashmir. While some optimistic observers hoped that personal interactions between both states' top diplomats would break the ice and pave the way for dialogue, this did not happen. The SCO is not supposed to be an organisation to bring up members' bilateral disputes. Therefore Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's remarks about the need to contain "cross-border terrorism" ensured that no bilateral encounters occurred on the sidelines of the event.
The author criticises Mr Jaishankar's comments regarding Pakistan and its top diplomat as being in poor taste and appearing as if he was speaking as a spokesman for BJP instead of the Indian government. The article suggests that both sides should have taken advantage of the situation instead of losing another opportunity to mend ties.
However, there are some potential biases in this article. Firstly, it appears to be one-sided reporting as it only presents Pakistan's perspective on the issue while ignoring India's stance on cross-border terrorism and infiltration across LoC. Secondly, there are unsupported claims such as "Indian officials themselves admit that infiltration across LoC has decreased," without providing any evidence or sources to support this claim.
Moreover, missing points of consideration include India's concerns about Pakistan's support for militant actors in India-held Kashmir and how it has damaged Pakistan's position internationally while hurting the Kashmir cause. Additionally, unexplored counterarguments include how Pakistan can adopt a wiser, more pragmatic diplomatic course to make a strong case for Kashmiri rights internationally.
The article also lacks evidence for the claims made about India's crackdown on Kashmiris in the occupied area and snatching from them whatever little autonomy they had. Furthermore, there is promotional content towards Pakistan's stance on the issue without presenting both sides equally.
In conclusion, while the article highlights some positive aspects of Pakistan's attendance at the SCO foreign ministers' conclave in India, it lacks balance and presents a one-sided perspective. It ignores India's concerns and potential counterarguments while making unsupported claims and lacking evidence for others.