India has a strong message for Pakistan over ‘Kashmir’ issue

New Delhi: With Pakistan raising its pitch over ongoing protest-violence in the Kashmir Valley, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Hina Bhat said Pakistan has no right to talk about India and Kashmir. Responding to Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry's conveying Pakistan's "serious concerns" over the recent killing of Burhan Wani to Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad Gautam Bambawale, Bhat said, "Pakistan will definitely interfere into the Kashmir issue, because they are the ones who have been bothering India to have peace in Kashmir and they are the ones who create such situations in Kashmir." "This is the peak time in Kashmir, where we have tourism, where we have the (Amarnath) Yatra and this thing (violence). They (Pakistan) have to keep their agenda moving by creating such acts. I don't think Pakistan has any right to talk about India and Kashmir," Bhat told ANI. "I am thankful to Pakistan about their concern for India, but I would be very happy if they do it without interference," she told the Pakistani authorities. According to a statement by Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chaudhry observed that the use of excessive force against innocent civilians protesting peacefully over extrajudicial killings is "deplorable and a blatant violation" of the Right to Life, Right to Freedom of Expression and Opinion, Right to Peaceful Protest, Right to Peaceful Assembly and other fundamental rights. The Foreign Secretary also called for fair and transparent inquiry against individuals responsible for these killings and emphasised that oppressive measures cannot deter the 'valiant people' of the Jammu and Kashmir from their demand of exercising their right to self-determination in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. However, India advised Islamabad to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of its neighbours. Acknowledging Pakistan's statement on the current situation in the valley, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) responded saying that Islamabad's statement reflected their attachment to terrorism. On the other hand, maintaining a distance from the whole Kashmir issue, United States on Monday said “Kashmir is an internal matter of India”. U.S also expressed grief over the violence that hit the valley.