Pak raises Kashmir at Asia-Afro meet, India sees red
Jakarta, April 23
The issue was raised by Pakistan's National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz at the multilateral forum where countries from Asia and Africa are participating, including India which is being represented by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
"A major focus of the Bandung (1955) was respect for fundamental human rights, including the right of self -determination. Many of the countries present here are proud sovereign and independent states still struggling under the yoke (rpt) yoke of colonism that time. We have, therefore, come a long way after that," Aziz said at the summit.
"It is tragic and unacceptable that 60 years after committing to those overarching principles people from Palestine to Kashmir are still awaiting fulfilment of their inalienable right to self-determination," he said in a session chaired by Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina.
Terming Pakistan's view as "unacceptable", Secretary (East) in MEA Anil Wadhwa immediately countered through Right to Reply, saying: "It is most unfortunate that Pakistan has once again chosen to use an international forum such as this to make tendentious remarks about Jammu and Kashmir which is an integral part of India." Aziz also mentioned Pakistan being the biggest victim of terrorism and violent extremism that has left 65,000 people dead. Pakistan has been raising Kashmir at international fora, including the UN. — PTI
