Willing to talk on terror but not Kashmir, India tells Pakistan

The Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has strongly condemned the statement of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan and said Modi should first explain his position to the global community on the atrocities committed against Kashmiris and Dalits.

“The prime minister is going to take up this issue very seriously at the United Nations platform”, spokesman Nafees Zakaria assured in a weekly press briefing at the Foreign Office.

“When the Prime Minister speaks from the Red Fort it is state of union inside & outside”.

Modi in his speech on August 15, India’s Independence Day, said “people of Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) have thanked me a lot in past few days, I am grateful to them”.

The newspaper said there was no immediate response from New Delhi or Islamabad to the United Nations request. “He (Modi) crossed the red line by talking about Balochistan”, Zakaria said.

“The Indian government fully supports the ongoing insurgency in Balochistan”.

The letter also recalled the repeated attempts made by Pakistan against India, sending armed raiders to Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 and 1965, infiltration of military personnel across the Line of Control at Kargil and continued support of terrorist activities. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has repeatedly said he wants to normalize relations with India.

On Monday Pakistan had invited India for talks on Kashmir, saying it is the worldwide obligation of both countries to resolve the issue.

Fatemi said that the Indian leader’s speech showed that Delhi was in contact with militant elements in Balochistan.

Islamabad has been accused of violating human rights in the erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, as well as for harbouring terrorists. “The brutal use of force has killed at least 80 people and at least 100 have been blinded by use of pellet guns”, Zakaria alleged.

India on Wednesday said it is willing to discuss ways of tackling terror with Pakistan amidst mayhem unleashed by Pakistan-baked terror groups in Kashmir, including its Pakistan-occupied territory and beyond.

“Access to OHCHR has been denied by India” to Kashmir.

He also hit out at Pakistan, saying while rest of the region is with India in wanting a much more cooperative and connected South Asia, a “standout country’s” view and attitude towards terrorism as an instrument of policy of diplomacy makes it a “difficult partner” in the region. However, he refused to confirm if India had responded to the proposal.