Conflict

Delhi wants to bilaterally solve Kashmir Issue with Pakistan, say Foreign Minister

Sushma Swaraj, the foreign minister of India.

Srinagar: Government of India (GoI) on Monday said that Pakistan “cannot” take Kashmir to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and asserted that the issue must be resolved bilaterally.

“India wants to settle all issues with Pakistan through dialogue”, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, but also made it amply clear that “talks and terror cannot go together”.

Swaraj was addressing a press conference in New Delhi on completion of three years of the government.

The minister said, “there was no flip-flop on part of the government in handling Pakistan.”

“Pakistan cannot take Kashmir issue to International Court of Justice. Kashmir issue can only be resolved bilaterally,” she said.

She was replying to a question on reported remarks of Pakistani law officer that Islamabad will take the Kashmir issue to ICJ.

“We want to resolve all issues with Pakistan bilaterally but talks and terror cannot go together,” the minister said.

“The Shimla agreement and Lahore declaration are very clear on Kashmir issue that it can only be resolved bilaterally. The two countries are bound by these bilateral agreements,” she asserted.

On the issue of billion dollar infrastructural giant China-Pakistan economic Corridor (CPEC), she said, “CPEC is about sovereignty. Kashmir is integral part of India, no question of compromise.”

When asked whether the rift between member states of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) with Qatar will impact India, she said that India will not be impacted by some Gulf countries cutting off diplomatic ties with Qatar.

“There is no challenge arising out of this for us. This is an internal matter of GCC (Gulf Coopertaion Council). Our only concern is about Indians there. We are trying to find out if any Indians are stuck there,” she told reporters.

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