‘No locus standi to comment on J&K’: India slams Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif on remarks about Kashmir at CICA meet

India on Thursday hit out at Pakistan for the country’s comments on the Jammu and Kashmir issue at a regional summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

New Delhi: India on Thursday lashed out at Pakistan for the country’s comments on the Jammu and Kashmir issue at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Astana, and firmly reiterated that the neighbouring country had “no locus standi to comment on the Kashmir issue” and should instead focus on dismantling its own “infrastructure of terrorism”.

“Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on J&K. Pakistan is the global epicentre of terrorism. It should shut down its infrastructure of terrorism. We desire normal relations with our neighbours including Pakistan,” Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi said at the 6th CICA Summit being held in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Taking serious offence at what has been interpreted as misuse of a regional platform by Pakistan to rake up the issue of Kashmir, Lekhi pointed out that, “Pakistan is the global epicentre of terrorism and continues to be the source of terrorist activities including in India. Pakistan continues to make no investment in human development but provides their resources for creating and sustaining infrastructure of terrorism.”

The CICA summit which is in its sixth year is being chaired by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. It began in Astana on Thursday with several global leaders, including Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in attendance.

Emphasising that India sought normal and cordial relations with all its neighbours, including Pakistan, the minister said, “Pakistan’s remarks today constitute gross interference in India’s internal affairs, sovereignty & territorial integrity which is inconsistent with the CICA Declaration on the Principles Guiding Relations between the CICA Member States of September 1999.”

She also added that it is unfortunate that Pakistan has chosen to once again misuse the CICA platform to propagate false and malicious propaganda against India and distract other countries from the theme and focus of the discussions and cooperation among member states.

Responding to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s comments on the Kashmir issue at the impartial CICA meeting, the minister advised the neighbouring country to take “credible, verifiable and irreversible actions” and ensure that no territory under its control can be used for cross border terrorism against India.

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