London: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that Pakistan vacating Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) would resolve the Kashmir issue in its entirety. The Minister was responding to a question from a member of the audience at Chatham House, the London-based think tank.
During a session at the Chatham House think tank in London, Jaishankar responded to a question on steps taken by India to solve the Kashmir issue, and said that the abrogation of Article 370 was the first step in that direction.
Responding to the question, Jaishankar said, “Removing Article 370 was step number one, restoring growth and economic activity and social justice in Kashmir was step number two, and holding elections with a very high turnout was step number three.”
“I think the part we are waiting for is the return of the stolen part of Kashmir which is under illegal Pakistani occupation. When that is done, I assure you Kashmir will be solved,” the External Affairs Minister said.
Ties with China
Having resolved the urgent issues of troop disengagement along the border, India is discussing with China steps to put the relationship on a more predictable and positive course, according to Jaishankar.
Resumption of pilgrimages to religious sites under China’s control, direct flights between the two countries, and exchange of journalists are under discussion, the EAM said.
Jaishankar's security breached in LondonIndia expressed deep concern over a security breach that occurred during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s official visit to the United Kingdom. The incident happened on March 5 when Jaishankar was leaving the Chatham House in London. A pro-Khalistan extremist managed to breach the security barricades and tore the Indian flag in front of the minister’s convoy. The act was captured on video and has since gone viral online. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly condemned the actions of the extremist group. "We have seen the footage of a breach of security during the visit of the External Affairs Minister to the UK," the MEA statement said. "We condemn the provocative activities of this small group of separatists and extremists." |
