LAHORE: Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry has hit out against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent statement in Kerala warning of action against the Uri terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that it violates all United Nations and international charters against non-interference in internal affairs of other countries.
In an exclusive interview to Dawn, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Washington, stated that the Prime Minister’s statement shows India’s “nervousness” with the situation in Kashmir.
Responding to his address in Kerala, the two diplomats asserted that several UN resolutions recognised Pakistan as a party to the Kashmir dispute and India too recognised that status, however, adding that India has no justification for interfering in Pakistan’s internal affairs.
Stating that it was unfortunate the Indian leadership “continues to indulge in a vilification campaign against Pakistan by making provocative statements and hurling baseless accusations”, Chaudhry said that such display of behaviour at the highest political level was regrettable.
“It is evident that, as an act of desperation, India is trying to distract world attention from the atrocities perpetrated by its occupation forces against innocent and defenceless Kashmiris, including women and children,” he said.
Further accusing India of continuing to sponsor terrorism in Pakistan directly through its “state apparatus”, the Foreign Secretary said that the arrest and confessional statement of intelligence operative, Kulbhushan Jhadav, had proved India’s involvement.
He also pointed out that the international community had taken notice of ‘human rights violations’ in Kashmir, with concern expressed by several countries as well as the UN and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Ambassador Jilani said that by making such statements, Indian leaders were trying to hide the atrocities against the people of Kashmir.
“We reject the statement. This is highly irresponsible. The content of the statement is a distortion and counter-intuitive. With such statements, they cannot draw a curtain on their brazen acts of terrorism and crimes against humanity in Kashmir,” he said.
Meanwhile, during their interaction with world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York this week, Pakistani diplomats dismissed the notion of a war with India.
“There will be no war. We have no intention of starting one and India also realises that a war at this stage will destroy its economy,” said one diplomat.