India on Thursday condemned the recent statements by the Pakistani leadership on Jammu and Kashmir. “These are very irresponsible statements,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. He added that Pakistan was trying to project an alarmist situation.
Ever since India made changes to Jammu and Kashmir’s special status this month, tensions have escalated with Pakistan, which has downgraded diplomatic ties and suspended bilateral trade. The country has raised the Kashmir dispute at the United Nations Security Council and has said that it would take it up at the UN Human Rights Council and the International Court of Justice as well.
On the letter by Pakistan’s Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari to the United Nations, Kumar said it was not even worth the paper on which it was written. “Don’t want to give credence to it by reacting,” he added. Mazari in her letter alleged human rights violations in Kashmir, and criticised India using statements by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
Kumar also confirmed that there has been no statement from Pakistan on closure of airspace. Pakistan’s Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry had said on Tuesday that the government was considering completely closing the airspace to India. “What we understand is perhaps there were certain sectors which were temporarily closed, there have been NOTAM (a notice to airmen) which were issued that too for a certain period,” said Kumar.
Kumar confirmed that the government had received information on infiltration by terrorists. Ports across Gujarat have been put on high alert after the intelligence warned of the possibility of Pakistani commandos infiltrating via sea.
“Pakistan should behave like a normal neighbour, do normal talk, normal trade,” said Kumar. “This is not something that is happening from Pakistan. We would like them to behave like normal neighbours do, not push terrorists in the neighbouring country.”
Kumar also claimed that not a single life has been lost in Jammu and Kashmir ever since the special status was revoked. He added that no hospital in Jammu and Kashmir has reported shortage of drug or any disposable item. “Not a single life has been lost, not a single bullet has been fired. There has been gradual but positive improvement in situation on ground,” he added.
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