Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar sent across yet another reply to his Pakistani counterpart reiterating India’s stand on talks with the neighbour over the Kashmir issue.
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However, India rejected the proposal to hold Foreign Secretary-level talks on Kashmir and insisted that discussions should be held on “aspects related to cross- border terrorism which are central to the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir”. The 19 August letter seemed to ignore the points made by India in its first letter, which was handed to Chaudhry on 17 August.
The spokesman said Pakistan was constantly making efforts to find a solution for the Jammu & Kashmir issue and regretted that the dialogue process since last two decades could not make any headway.
He said Pakistan has been sensitising the global community about plight of people in Occupied Kashmir and would also continue its moral, diplomatic and political support for peaceful struggle for right to self-determination.
Nearly 70 people have been killed since the start of the unrest last month following the death of Burhan Wani, who India says was a militant who belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen group, once the dominant militant group in Kashmir.
Pakistan’s description of Wani as a “Kashmiri leader” angered India as did its offer to send relief material to Indian administered Kashmir which has been under curfew for many days.
Zakaria also called upon the global community to play its proactive role on the issue.
“The Indian Prime Minister referred to Balochistan in his bid to divert attention from gruesome situation in Occupied Kashmir”. “Such cooperation should not be to the detriment of Pakistan”, Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said in a statement.
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Pakistan on Thursday asked the world community to play its role in the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, saying it wants to resolve it in a peaceful manner and through result-oriented and sustained dialogue.
