In a tit-for-tat escalation in the war of words between the nuclear-armed neighbours, Modi said he had received messages of support from leaders in restive regions of Pakistan, in particular the troubled southwestern province of Baluchistan.
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In his Independence Day speech on Monday, Modi had talked about the situation in PoK, Gilgit and Balochistan and said people from there have thanked him for raising their issues.
Addressing a ceremony, he said in 1947, their ancestors had themselves announced to make Balochistan part of the newly created country – Pakistan.
Last week, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in Rajya Sabha that “no power on earth” could separate Kashmir from India. “Problem is that the terrorism issue has become so central to the relationship that it makes the relationship hard to grow”, Jaishankar said in his address at the Foreign Correspondents Club here.
He said that the Indian premier’s statement vindicated Pakistan’s claim about Indian involvement in fuelling unrest in Balochistan.
“I swear on the blood of the dead, wherever these terrorists are, we will hunt them down”.
The remarks by Baloch leaders come a day after Modi brought up Pakistani atrocities in Balochistan and PoK in his Independence Day speech. Pakistan says it gives only moral and diplomatic backing.
India conveyed its position when high commissioner Gautam Bambawale handed over the formal response to Pakistani foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry’s letter inviting his Indian counterpart for talks on the Kashmir issue.
The human rights office wants its team on the ground in Kashmir to interview victims, witnesses and security forces and to independently assess the situation.
Zakaria said that Indian brutalities in the occupied valley had drawn strong condemnation from across the globe.
Pakistan responded to this by saying that India is trying to “divert” the attention of the global community for the unrest taking place in Kashmir.
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India on Wednesday rejected Pakistan’s proposal to hold Foreign Secretary-level talks on Kashmir and asserted that it would like to discuss aspects related to cross-border terrorism which are central to the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
