Islamabad, December 19
Rejecting the so-called third option of an independent Kashmir, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha has asserted that there was no question of secession of Jammu and Kashmir or any other part from the Indian Union.
Emphasising that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, he told ‘Friday Times’ that “I have no doubt in my mind that people (of the State) are clearly aware that their interests are best served by their partaking of the benefits of India’s rapid economic development and her emergence on the world stage as a major power”.
“There is no question of secession of Jammu and Kashmir or any other part of India from the Indian Union,” he said.
Observing that Kashmiri people have braved bullets of terrorists to participate overwhelmingly in the Assembly elections in October last year, Mr Sinha said the economy of the state was picking up and tourism had revived in a big way.
On Pakistan’s oft-repeated stand that Kashmir is a core issue with India, he said “Our differences over the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir are a symptom of the problems between India and Pakistan.”
“The real problem is Pakistan’s compulsive hostility towards India,” he said, observing there was “no problem or issue between India and Pakistan that cannot be resolved bilaterally and with goodwill”.
Mr Sinha said “It is our firm belief that greater economic cooperation, cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts would create an environment in which all issues, including that of Jammu and Kashmir, could be addressed”.
— PTI
