ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: As Pakistan on Friday reiterated its firm resolve to continue to support Kashmiris in their just struggle for right to self-determination, New Delhi has asked Islamabad not to interfere in its internal affairs.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif presided over a Special Cabinet meeting in Lahore which reviewed deteriorating situation in the Indian-held Kashmir.
The prime minister in his address on the occasion said that Pakistan would continue to extend moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris in their just struggle for right to self-determination.
In response to the meeting held in Lahore, the Indian Foreign Ministry expressed its dismay over what it called the continued attempts by Pakistan to interfere in its internal matter.
Our response to the special meeting of Cabinet of Pakistan today on recent developments in the Indian state of J&K pic.twitter.com/FcxlMUuwvF
— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 15, 2016
In a tweet on Friday, the Spokesman of Indian Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup said “India completely and unequivocally rejects in entirely the decision adopted by the Cabinet of Pakistan on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
We are dismayed at the continued attempts by Pakistan to interfere in our internal matters, where, we reiterate, Pakistan or any other external party has no locus standi. Continued glorification of terrorists belonging to proscribed terrorist organizations makes it amply clear where Pakistan’s sympathies continue to lie.
The self serving actions by Pakistan in the last few days to derive political mileage out of the recent development in J&K follow planned infiltration and terrorism aimed at India from across the Line of Control and the International Boundary. The attempts in Pakistan by various players to ingratiate themselves to the people of J&K in the run up to the so called elections in territories under Pakistan’s illegal occupation will not succeed.
We hope that Pakistan will desist from further interfering in India’s internal affairs and destabilizing the situation in South Asia through support to terrorism and other subservice acts.
We also hope that Pakistan will respond constructively to India’s initiatives for peace and normalizing the India-Pakistan relationship.”
In the Cabinet meeting, Nawaz Sharif also termed Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Burhan Wani as martyr of independence movement and said that Kashmiri people will get their right to self-determination for which the Pakistani nation stands by them.
The meeting also decided to observe as Black Day on Tuesday in protest against atrocities being committed by Indian troops in the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
