New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) Virtually ruling out talks on Kashmir with Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday that revocation of Article 370 is purely an internal issue and the only issue India would discuss with Pakistan is of terrorism.
To a question on talking Kashmir with Pakistan, he said: “370 is not a bilateral issue, 370 is an internal issue. With regard to Pakistan the issue is not 370, the issue with Pakistan is terrorism.”
He said there is no change in India’s policy on Pakistan.
Jaishankar on September 17 said US President Donald Trump joining Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diaspora event in Houston next week will be a message for the world and it is up to Pakistan what they wish to read.
Asked whether Trump’s presence at the event would be a message for Pakistan, the External Affairs Minister said there are going to be multiple messages there. “And obviously it will be up to Pakistanis to read what they wish to read and the same applies to other parts of the world.”
He said with such events, the community definitely stands more motivated, united, inspired by the fact that Modi is the Prime Minister.
Asked what would happen if the issue of Kashmir comes up during Modi’s US visit, he said, “Don’t worry much about what people will say on Jammu and Kashmir… Let me tell you one thing, there is a complete predictability about my position. My position has been clear since 1972 and my position is not going to change. At the end of the day it is my issue. So on my issue my position has prevailed and will prevail. So don’t worry about those aspects.”
To a question on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in the backdrop of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah, among others stating that the only talks with Islamabad would now be on PoK, Jaishankar said: “Yes, our position on PoK is, has been, and will always be very clear. PoK is part of India, and we expect one day that we will have physical jurisdiction over it.”
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