Pakistan rejects India's Kashmir stance
Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch briefing media in Islamabad. SCREENGRAB
In response to recent comments by India's Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar on Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan reiterated on Sunday that the Kashmir dispute is internationally recognised and must be resolved according to United Nations Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
"The Jammu and Kashmir dispute is an internationally recognised dispute that must be resolved in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people. Resolution of this unresolved conflict is pivotal to peace and stability in South Asia," Pakistan's Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said.
Jaishankar, speaking on Friday, had stated, "I think the era of uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan is over. Actions have consequences, and insofar as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, I think Article 370 is done."
He further added, "The issue today is what kind of relationship can we possibly contemplate with Pakistan. What I do want to say is that we are not passive, and whether events take a positive or negative direction, either way, we will react."
In her response, Baloch firmly rejected any notion that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute has been or could be settled unilaterally.
"Such claims are not only misleading but dangerously delusional, as they blatantly disregard the on-ground realities. India's unilateral actions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) cannot and will not change this reality," she said.
Baloch emphasised that while Pakistan remains committed to diplomacy and dialogue, it will respond with resolve to any hostile actions.
"True peace and stability in South Asia can only be achieved through a settlement in accordance with UNSC resolutions and the inalienable rights of the Kashmiri people," she stated.
Pakistan called on India to abandon its "provocative rhetoric and baseless assertions" about IIOJK and engage in meaningful dialogue for a just and lasting resolution of the Kashmir dispute to ensure durable peace in the region.