Pakistan condemns Indian FM's remarks on Kashmir
Pakistan
Denounces Israel’s actions in Gaza
ISALMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Thursday strongly rejected the remarks made by Indian External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on Jammu and Kashmir.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan, in a weekly briefing, also denounced Israel’s actions in Gaza, calling them a blatant violation of international law and human rights.
He rejected the Indian minister’s statement on March 5, asserting that economic recovery alone could not address Kashmiris concerns.
“Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally-recognised disputed territory. The relevant UN Security Council resolutions clearly stipulate that the final status of the Jammu and Kashmir is to be determined through a free and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices. India's prevarication cannot change this reality,” said the FO spokesperson.
He added, “We also wish to underscore that any electoral exercise, pursuant to the Indian constitution, cannot serve as a substitute to grant of right to self-determination. Similarly, the decades-old grievances of the Kashmiri people cannot be meaningfully addressed through economic activity down the barrel of a gun.”
Shafqat Ali Khan said instead of making baseless claims about Azad Jammu and Kashmir, India should vacate the large territories of Jammu and Kashmir, under its occupation for last 77 years.
He said that New Delhi must realise that a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people, is imperative for a lasting peace in South Asia.
Read also: Dar leaves for Saudi Arabia to attend OIC's extraordinary session
Meanwhile, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has departed for Saudi Arabia to attend the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting, focusing on Israeli atrocities in Palestine.
Regarding Pakistan-US counterterrorism coopration, the spokesperson confirmed Pakistan’s assistance in extraditing a Daesh terrorist.
He also clarified that Pakistan has not unilaterally closed the Torkham border but urged Afghanistan’s interim government to seek peaceful solution.
