London
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has stated that Pakistan vacating Pakistan Occupied Kashmir would resolve the Kashmir issue in its entirety. The Minister was responding to a query from a member of the viewers on the Chatham House, the London-based thinktank. The query was about whether or not Prime Minister Narendra Modi may use his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump to “solve” the Kashmir issue.
“Removing Article 370 was step number one,” Mr. Jaishankar stated, referring to the controversial adjustments within the particular standing of Jammu and Kashmir made by the federal government in August 2019.
“Then restoring growth and economic activity and social justice in Kashmir was step number two,” the Minister added.
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“Holding elections, which were done 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’s done, I assure you, Kashmir [is] solved,” he stated.
The dialogue host, Chatham House chief government Bronwen Maddox, instructed there have been quite a few questions on Kashmir in addition to human rights. The House of Commons held a debate earlier within the day, “Government support for human rights in Jammu and Kashmir”, led by Labour MP Sarah Smith.
Asked if the Indian authorities acknowledges a few of its shortcomings on human rights, Mr. Jaishankar stated the federal government had, for political causes, been on the receiving finish of campaigns round human rights.
“There can be situations which require redressal and remedy,” he stated, including that India had a robust file on human rights relative to world comparators.
“I think any sort of sweeping concern on human rights is really misplaced. I don’t see justification for it at all,” he added.
Mr. Jaishankar had, earlier within the dialogue, referred to the concept of equal supply of advantages for all Indian residents — an idea he has used earlier than to defend the federal government file on human rights.
In some elements of the world there was a politics that was pushed by “creating” and “pandering to” id politics, the Minister stated.
Good politics was about “treating your citizens equally”, he argued.
Concerns raised by Indian residents, organisations inside and out of doors India, and overseas governments, when they’re raised, nonetheless, have been bigger in scope and on matters apart from the supply of advantages.
Published – March 06, 2025 04:33 am IST
