Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday asked New Delhi to stop blaming Islamabad for its problems and said his country does not intend to interfere in India’s internal affairs, Dawn reported.
“We want to resolve the Kashmir dispute through dialogue, but India is making undue hue and cry,” Qureshi said. “Issues are emerging in India, but Pakistan has no role in that.”
The comments came a day after Qureshi called All Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairperson Syed Ali Shah Geelani to discuss the “human rights situation” in Kashmir. Qureshi and Geelani reportedly had an “in-depth” conversation on alleged human rights violations in the Valley and the political situation in the state.
On January 30, Qureshi had spoken to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a leader of another faction of the Hurriyat Conference. In response, India’s Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had summoned Islamabad’s envoy and conveyed India’s condemnation “of this latest brazen attempt by Pakistan to subvert India’s unity” and had accused Pakistan of direct interference in New Delhi’s domestic affairs.
In retaliation, Pakistan had summoned India’s High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria to lodge a protest.
Qureshi on Saturday said India should not make an issue out of his telephonic conversation with Farooq. The call was reportedly to invite Farooq to an international conference on Kashmir to be held in the British House of Commons in London this week.
“India gets annoyed if the Kashmir issue is highlighted despite the fact that it is a resolvable issue,” said Qureshi, adding that Pakistan’s point of view on Kashmir at the vent would expose India’s real face.
He said regardless of the political party winning the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in India, Pakistan would reciprocate the new government’s good gesture in New Delhi.
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