NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that the long-standing Kashmir dispute would be resolved with the “return of the stolen part of Kashmir,” referring to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Speaking at a session at the Chatham House think tank in London on Wednesday, Jaishankar emphasized: “I think the part we are waiting for is the return of the stolen part of Kashmir, which is under illegal Pakistani occupation; when that is done, I assure you Kashmir will be solved.”
Responding to the statement, Pakistan's foreign office spokesperson 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 from the last 77 years.”
Answering to a question on the Kashmir issue, Jaishankar said: “On Kashmir, I believe we have made significant progress in resolving most of the issue.” He outlined the steps taken, saying, “The first step was the removal of Article 370, the second step was restoring growth, economic activity, and social justice in Kashmir, and the third step was holding elections with a high voter turnout.”
Jaishankar said India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is, and shall forever” remain an integral part of the country.
India-Pakistan bilateral relations sharply deteriorated, and trade between the two nations came to a halt after India revoked Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5, 2019. This move effectively removed the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and resulted in the bifurcation of the region into two Union Territories.