New Delhi: After Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, declared in Parliament that Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) was part of India, the External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, reiterated India’s stand and expressed the wish that one day India will have jurisdiction over PoK.
The big statement from Jaishankar came during a press conference. He said, “Our position on PoK has always been and will always be very clear. PoK is a part of India and we expect one day that we will have the physical jurisdiction over it.”
The External Affairs Minister also said that India is facing a unique challenge in its neighbourhood because of cross-border terrorism.
He also said that nowhere in the world does a country engage in terrorism openly against its neighbouring country other than Pakistan and said that it is also part of their foreign policy.
He told the media, “With regard to Pakistan, the issue is not Article 370 but Pakistan’s terrorists. We must make the world realise. I always ask other people show me anywhere else in the world where any country conducts terrorism openly against its neighbour as part of what it considers its foreign policy.”
Jaishankar also exposed Pakistan’s bluff of human rights by bringing out its ill treatment of minorities.
He said, “Regarding minorities in Pakistan, this isn’t a new thing. Here’s a country which is waxing eloquent about other nations. Look at their treatment of minorities, I think minority number has come down dramatically in last 70 years to a point where they don’t even put it out publically anymore.”
The Minister added, “What is happening now in Sindh (Pakistan) is not the only thing which has happened in the last 100 days. You also had cases of abduction of Sikh girls. I think if there is a human rights audit today in this part of the world I can pretty confidently assert who will come last in it.”
Pakistan has been continuously speaking about war and nuclear threats since India abrogated Article 370 and fully integrated Kashmir with India. However, the Islamic nation could not find any takers for their cause in international forums.
Jaishankar’s statement about PoK gives the message that India is serious of taking back its territory from the clutches of Pakistani occupation. Amit Shah had also declared that Aksai Chin, which is occupied by China, is also part of India.
India has been flexing its muscles against its troubling neighbours ever since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister of India.
