New Delhi: India on Thursday described Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s remarks on civilians’ deaths during violence in Jammu and Kashmir last week as expressions of “insincerity and duplicity.”
“The statements coming out from their side demonstrate their insincerity and duplicity,” said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.
Following the death of seven civilians during clashes with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday, Khan tweeted the next day: “Strongly condemn killing of innocent Kashmiri civilians in Pulwama IOK by Indian security forces. Only dialogue & not violence & killings will resolve this conflict. We will raise issue of India’s human rights violations in IOK & demand UNSC fulfil its J&K plebiscite commitment.”
In his briefing, Kumar reiterated India’s demand that Pakistan stop allowing its territory to be used by terror groups and terrorists and exporting terrorism to other countries.
“No action is being taken on that,” he said. “On the other hand, they have sometimes the gumption to comment on the internal affairs of a neighbouring country. I think it will be better if their mind their own business and look at their internal affairs which are in a mess,” the spokesman said.
Earlier this month, Khan had termed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as ‘anti-Muslim’ and ‘anti-Pakistan’.
Khan’s reaction came on a query over why his overtures had been spurned by India ever since he came to power four months ago. Khan said that the key reason behind India spurning his gestures was because of the upcoming Lok Sabha 2019 elections.
Khan’s remarks came after out India ruled out the possibility of holding talks with Pakistan unless it stops cross-border terror activities. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor in Pakistan, Khan pitched for “strong and civilised” relationship with India but asserted that they have “one issue, which is Kashmir”, receiving a sharp reaction from India which regretted that he used the “pious occasion” of foundation stone-laying for Kartarpur Sahib corridor to make “unwarranted reference” to its integral and inalienable part.