Bilawal’s pledge to 'take back' Kashmir sparks fierce reaction in India
Statement sparks outrage on social media, while Indian External Affairs Ministry says claims were 'far from reality'
KARACHI:
While India’s External Affairs Ministry shrugged off Pakistan Peoples Party’s Bilawal Bhutto’s pledge to ‘take back’ Kashmir as “far from reality”, social media was less forgiving.
In a statement made on Friday, the PPP patron-in-chief vowed not to leave behind “even an inch” of Kashmir.
“I will take back Kashmir, all of it, and I will not leave behind a single inch of it because, like the other provinces, it belongs to Pakistan,” proclaimed Bhutto as he addressed party workers in Multan.
The story was picked up on Saturday by most of top newspaper websites in India, sparking fierce reaction from members of the public and well known personalities alike in the neighbouring country.
"We are in the process of looking forward and looking forward does not mean that our borders will be changed. We made it very clear that as far as we are concerned, the integrity and unity of India is non negotiable," Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry Syed Akbaruddin said, according to the Times of India.
Hardly impressed with Bilawal's statements, many across the border took to social media to mock the patron, advising him to first bring Pakistan under control before thinking about Kashmir. Many also claimed that Bilawal's statement on this sensitive issue was representative of his political inexperience.
"Where were these Pakistani politicians when Kashmir was under floods? It was Modi and the Indian government which helped Kashmir, not Pakistan. On what grounds can they think that Kashmir is theirs?" said one comment on the Times of India website.
Here are some reactions from Twitter:
While India’s External Affairs Ministry shrugged off Pakistan Peoples Party’s Bilawal Bhutto’s pledge to ‘take back’ Kashmir as “far from reality”, social media was less forgiving.
In a statement made on Friday, the PPP patron-in-chief vowed not to leave behind “even an inch” of Kashmir.
“I will take back Kashmir, all of it, and I will not leave behind a single inch of it because, like the other provinces, it belongs to Pakistan,” proclaimed Bhutto as he addressed party workers in Multan.
The story was picked up on Saturday by most of top newspaper websites in India, sparking fierce reaction from members of the public and well known personalities alike in the neighbouring country.
"We are in the process of looking forward and looking forward does not mean that our borders will be changed. We made it very clear that as far as we are concerned, the integrity and unity of India is non negotiable," Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry Syed Akbaruddin said, according to the Times of India.
Hardly impressed with Bilawal's statements, many across the border took to social media to mock the patron, advising him to first bring Pakistan under control before thinking about Kashmir. Many also claimed that Bilawal's statement on this sensitive issue was representative of his political inexperience.
"Where were these Pakistani politicians when Kashmir was under floods? It was Modi and the Indian government which helped Kashmir, not Pakistan. On what grounds can they think that Kashmir is theirs?" said one comment on the Times of India website.
Here are some reactions from Twitter: