Islamabad, Dec 25: Pakistan has described India’s move to pull out troops from Jammu and Kashmir as a “gimmick” intended to deflect the world community’s attention from resolving the Kashmir issue.
Referring to reports about the withdrawal of 30,000 troops from Jammu and Kashmir, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said the region “remains the most militarised area”.
“Such gimmicks are not going to deflect the attention of the world that the Kashmir issue should be resolved in accordance with the aspirations of Kashmiris,” he said.
“Indian civil society and media have started realising that the time has come to resolve the core Kashmir issue,” Basit contended in an interview.
Defence Minister A K Antony had said recently that India had withdrawn 30,000 soldiers from Jammu and Kashmir over the last few months.
Pakistan has been insisting that the resolution of the Kashmir issue is essential for it to focus on the war on terror along its western border with Afghanistan.
Basit also said India should delink terrorism from the peace process with Pakistan as dialogue is the option for achieving durable peace.
He said India had agreed to resume the peace process when the premiers of the two countries met at Sharm el-Sheikh in July.
“Unfortunately the whole peace process is facing some kind of stalemate as confirmed by (the) statement from India that it would not revert to negotiations unless the Mumbai attackers are brought to book,” Basit said.
The delay in resuming the composite dialogue means terrorists would be strengthened, he said.
Persons involved in the Mumbai attacks are being prosecuted and the law should take its normal course, Basit said.
India suspended the composite dialogue in the wake of last year’s Mumbai attacks.
It has linked the resumption of the peace process to Pakistan taking action against the perpetrators of the attacks.
Basit also blamed India for the unrest in Balochistan province.
He said: “Pakistan has evidence of Indian involvement in Balochistan and Pakistan will proceed when the time comes… We have been raising our concerns regarding Indian involvement in Balochistan with major countries including the US, UK and other countries”.
India has dismissed Pakistan’s allegations that it is fomenting unrest in Balochistan.
–PTI