Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has said his country would not accept any intervention in its row with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.
Khurshid’s statement came after media reports quoted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif saying how he had sought for intervention from the US in 1999 on Kashmir.
Talking to NDTV on Sunday, he said that it must be clear to the world that India in no way would accept any intervention. Kashmir is a part of India, not something that should be questioned, he said, adding that any query in this regard will be a waste of time.
He said it is important that Pakistan showed good conduct and compliance to the 2003 Ceasefire Act. He said that it was not right to say that the ceasefire violation has collapsed. There have been minor violations, but those too are not acceptable, he added.
Khurshid said the Indian Army knew its standard operating procedures. He said that the area and the situation is best left to the army and “I express my gratitude to our soldiers”.
“Whatever aid US gives to Pakistan must not be of nature that is detrimental to our strategy and interests.” The minister said. “We also understand that in connection with Afghanistan, US needs Pakistan’s cooperation.”
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Murli Manohar Joshi said no third party has the right to interfere in Kashmir issue.
“India has already made it very clear that not just the Kashmir issue, but any issue between India and Pakistan would be solved only by the two countries, and no third party has the right to get involved. Nawaz Sharif’s statement on US intervention is not accepted,” he said.
“I want to tell the UPA government that not only BJP, but the whole nation is against US intervention. I appeal to Mr Obama not to interfere in this matter, and he should reject Pakistan’s proposal of US intervention,” he added.
According to a foreign news agency, Nawaz, who is on a three-day official visit to Washington, said on Saturday that the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan could be resolved through US intervention.
He also said that both India and Pakistan were nuclear powers, and the region was a nuclear flash point, and added that the world powers should get involved to resolve this issue, even though India does not favour such intervention.
