Pak says India has crossed red line on Balochistan issue

NEW DELHI: On a day Pakistan accused India of crossing a “red line” by raising alleged rights abuses in Balochistan, New Delhi said it wanted to discuss the vacation of parts of Jammu and Kashmir under “illegal occupation” by Islamabad.

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The war of words heated up a day after India said it would take up Pakistan’s offer of talks provided they focus on cross-border terrorism and not the unrest in Kashmir, where more than 60 people have died in protests after the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani.

India reiterated that foreign secretary S Jaishankar had accepted his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Chaudhry’s invitation to visit Islamabad for talks, which should focus on the “more pressing aspects of the Jammu and Kashmir situation”.

These aspects, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, include Pakistan ending cross-border terrorism.

“Incitement to violence and terrorism” in Kashmir, detaining and prosecuting terrorist leaders who have been active in supporting such violence, closing down terrorist camps, and denying safe haven, shelters and support to terrorists who have escaped Indian law could also be on the agenda if the meeting is held on India’s terms.

The Indian foreign secretary also looks forward to discussing “the earliest possible vacation of Pakistan’s illegal occupation of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir”, Swarup told a news briefing.

Swar up also dismissed Islamabad’s contention that the Indian premier had crossed a red line as an “extraordinary remark from a senior functionary of Pakistan that recognizes no red lines in its own diplomacy”.

Earlier, Pakistan foreign ministry spokesperson Nafees Zakaria told a news briefing in Islamabad that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had crossed a “red line” by raising Balochistan. He also said Pakistan will raise the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly next month.

Modi had brought up “atrocities” in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in his Independence Day speech.