Islamabad, Jan 31: Pakistan’s Foreign Office has rejected objection raised by India over Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s telephone call to Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
The row started after Qureshi called Mirwaiz on Tuesday and spoke about Islamabad’s efforts to highlight the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir internationally.
In reaction, India told Pakistan on Wednesday to lay off on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood.
Gokhale condemned in “the strongest terms this latest brazen attempt by Pakistan to subvert India’s unity and to violate our sovereignty and territorial integrity, by none other than the Pakistan Foreign Minister”.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office, however, dismissed India’s objection in a statement, saying: “Kashmir is an unresolved issue between Pakistan and India and acknowledged as such through UN Security Council resolutions, including the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration.
“We also categorically reject any insinuation that seeks to project as ‘terrorism’ the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people for self-determination. This is an outright travesty.
Pakistan is committed to extending its political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of occupied Jammu & Kashmir. The leadership in Pakistan has always been communicating with the Kashmiri leadership. This is not anything new.
“Pakistan will maintain its support and solidarity till the time the Kashmir dispute is resolved peacefully, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the people of the occupied valley,” it added.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has also justified the telephone call, asking why New Delhi was so upset.
