After calling Narendra Modi the “butcher of Gujrat,” the Indian Prime Minister’s BJP announced a 20 million rupee ($240,000) bounty on his head. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari slammed the announcement, saying it “crossed a line.”
When asked about Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s claim that Pakistan is the “epidemic of terrorism” in an interview with Bloomberg, Bilawal defended remarks he made last week at the UN Security Council in which he referred to Modi as the “butcher of Gujarat” and claimed the Indian leader’s political party was modeled after Adolf Hitler.
WATCH: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, one of the country's most high-profile politicians, defends comments about Indian leader Narendra Modi that sparked an uproar between the long-feuding neighbors. Via @BloombergTV
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He said he was “referring to the historical fact, and they believe that repeating history is a personal insult.” He also decried a member of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party who reportedly said he would give a 20 million rupee ($240,000) reward to anyone who would behead the Pakistani politician.
“If I’m quoting somebody else, and speaking about a historical fact that Mr. Modi would prefer we forget about, the response shouldn’t be a threat of assassination,” Bilawal said, adding that the death threat “crossed a line.”
Bilawal said Muslims in India were being tortured by Narendra Modi’s party and added that the Indian government was committing extreme atrocities in Gujarat.
Foreign Minister Bilawal also said comments from a colleague who said “India should not forget that Pakistan has an atom bomb” were not cause for alarm.
“That was not a threat for nuclear war,” he said. “No one thinks nuclear war is an appropriate reaction.”
In response to a query, Bilawal stated that early elections were not in the best interests of the nation at this time. He claimed Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was damaging the nation by organizing unjustified protests. He stated that it was extremely regrettable that Imran Khan discussed the election at a time when the nation was going through a very difficult period.
In response to a different question, Bilawal stated that the unprecedented floods that struck Pakistan in August caused immense destruction and that the international community had a huge obligation to assist Pakistan.
According to him, the catastrophic floods killed more than 1,700 people, submerged a third of the country, and reduced national growth by 50%. About $32 billion in damages and losses are the result of the floods.
Bilawal said according to the United Nations, the global community did not provide enough funds after the devastating floods in Pakistan and that might lead to the suspension of its food support programme next month.
The UN and Pakistan’s joint appeal garnered only about 30% of the $816 million funds requested, according to Julien Harneis, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Pakistan. They will seek more funds at a conference in Geneva, Switzerland, scheduled for Jan. 9.
FM commends the Pakistani-American community’s role in strong Pak-US ties
Separately, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also met with leaders of the Pakistani-American community in Washington.
During his meeting, he eulogized the role of the Pakistani diaspora in establishing strong Pak-US relations, besides commending their continued support of national development.
