“Balochistan is an integral part of a democratic Pakistan and follies of a dictator can not empower the Indian prime minister to speak on our internal issues”, he stated in a statement. The Foreign Secretary’s would be the second high-ranking visit after that of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh who was in Islamabad earlier this month.
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Pakistan is to “forcefully” present its stance on India’s “state terrorism” in Jammu and Kashmir at the upcoming UN General Assembly in NY, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.
Tensions between Pakistan and India have been running high since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani sparked anti-government protests in IHK, with over 60 people dead in clashes between protesters and Indian authorities. “There is no comparison between the struggle for liberation in India-held Kashmir and the so-called Balochistan insurgency”, Zehri asserted at a rally in Quetta, the provincial capital.
“The statement by the Indian Prime Minister [on Balochistan] includes elements that are indeed a violation of the United Nations charter”, Nafees Zakaria, spokesperson of the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, said during his weekly briefing in Islamabad.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his annual Independence Day speech Monday to accuse Pakistan of glorifying terrorism. It’s for the good of both countries; it’s for the good of the region.
However, within days of the agreement, Pakistan insisted that any talks between the national security advisers take up the Kashmir dispute as well. India once again reiterated its tough stand against Pakistan, saying both countries can talk only on terror, not on Kashmir.
Pakistan was quick to rebuke the statements made by the Prime Minister. “It is up to them to carry it forward”, said Swarup. But Islamabad’s apparent inability to take action against the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed group, which is blamed for the attack, has stalled the dialogue. “They made an offer, we responded to it”.
“Indian Mission in Geneva has been constructively engaged with the United Nations body to project a correct picture of J&K by highlighting the central role of cross-border terrorism and its glorification in the violent protests in the Valley”, Swarup said. Problem is that the terrorism issue has become so central to the relationship that it makes the relationship hard to grow.
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Accepting Chaudhry’s invite, Jaishankar in his reply stated that the talks should focus on five aspects of terrorism.
