Daily Times

NEW DELHI: Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj on Saturday said Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif must know that ‘Kashmir can never become a part of Pakistan’.

“Whole India wants to tell Pakistani premier in one voice that his and Pakistan’s dream (of making Kashmir its part) will never come true,” Swaraj said during a press conference.

Nawaz Sharif, while addressing a public gathering on Friday after his party’s victory in Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, said, “We are waiting for the day Kashmir becomes Pakistan.”

“Their movement for freedom cannot be stopped and it will be successful. You are aware of how they are being beaten and killed. All our prayers are with them and we are waiting for the day Kashmir becomes Pakistan,” Nawaz had said.

Reasserting the Indian stance on the status of disputed Jammu and Kashmir region, she claimed that the whole of Kashmir belongs to India. “For the last few days, Pakistani politicians, including Prime Minister Nawaz, have been issuing irresponsible statements regarding the ongoing situation in Indian held Kashmir.”

The Indian minister also accused Pakistan of backing militants “with the help of UN designated terrorists and notorious figures like Hafiz Saeed, in order to turn the valley into a living hell”.

“The Pakistani PM says his prayers are with people of Kashmir. I must remind him that Pakistan has never prayed for the people of the valley but has given them pain in the form of terrorism,” said Swaraj.

She also condemned Nawaz Sharif’s condemnation of commander Burhan Wani’s murder and asked him why he described Wani as a martyr despite knowing that he was a part of the ‘terrorist group’ Hizbul Mujahideen.

The Indian minister alleged that Wani was involved in the killing of several civilians and security forces personnel. She also accused Pakistan of supporting separatist elements in Indian Kashmir.

Following the July 1 killing of Wani, Nawaz had condemned the killing and oppressive measures adopted by Indian forces against those protesting against the killing.

While defending the actions of Indian army and police during the recent clashes, the minister said that the professionalism and restrained practised by the Indian security forces is evident from the fact that over 1,700 security personnel have been injured so far and many of them are still in critical condition.