India on Thursday dismissive of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s fresh letter to United Nations chief on Kashmir, saying any such move will not change the reality that part of Jammu and Kashmir is under Islamabad’s “illegal and forcible” occupation and that it has no locus standi to comment on internal situation in the Valley.
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Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Nafees Zakariya said that Sharif sent the letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon apprising him of the deteriorating situation in Kashmir.
It wont change the ground situation that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.
Zakaria said Pakistan was ready to hold dialogue with India whenever the latter was ready, however, stressed that Kashmir issue would be part of agenda.
Zakaria said the worldwide community needs to play its role in resolution of Kashmir issue, adding that the United Nations also has a responsibility upon it to play in this regard.
The spokesperson also said that Pakistan would continue its efforts to raise the Kashmir dispute at all global levels. “But we are asking who created that terror”.
“We can not accept pre-conditions in talks”, he said when his attention was drawn to the statement of Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj saying that India would not engage with Pakistan in talks unless it hands over those involved in Pathankot incident. As for peace in Afghanistan, he said Pakistan remains committed to an Afgahn owed and Afghan led peace process such as the QCG. The two sides have agreed to respect each other’s flags, documents and leaders.
When asked about the recent US-India defense pact, the spokesperson said that Pakistan will like to see that such arrangements do not contribute to polarizing the region by disturbing the strategic balance and escalating the arms buildup in the region.
About US Secretary of State John Kerry’s statements in New Delhi, he said if he had been in Pakistan, his statements would have been different.
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The spokesperson was responding to a question on the US’ position on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) along with that of Gilgit Baltistan, which has been illegally occupied by Pakistan. He said with the United States, we have a comprehensive mechanism and at bilateral meetings all matters of mutual concerns are discussed.
