New Delhi: Much to the chagrin of anti-India forces, no body in the high-profile meeting on Thursday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Kashmir raised the Pakistan bogey.
Most leaders and participants at the meeting including Congress veteran and a former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad said the deliberations were held in cordial atmosphere.
"It is also fundamental duty and responsibility of all political parties in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure the early return of Kashmiri pandits," Azad told reporters.
To a specific question on PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti stating earlier that the Government of India should talk to Pakistan, Azad said, "andar aisey koi baat nahi hui (no such talks happened inside)".
Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, also said in response to a question: "Sharad ki uspar ki baat nahi hui.....(no body talked about Pakistan)".
Former BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, who handled J&K matters, said, "The fact that J&K meeting has gone on for more than three hrs is in itself an indication of its success".
However, Mehbooba Mufti later told reporters that she did welcome announcement of ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
Answering questions, Ghulam Nabi Azad said even on the contentious issue that Article 370 ought to be restored, "adhik tar partyian (most parties)" said the matter is now pending before the Supreme Court and that a decision should first come from the apex court.
However, sources said while former CM and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti tried to raise the issue of Article 370, senior political leader Muzaffar Beigh (once her party colleague and now with People's Conference) interrupted her.
But Farooq Abdullah, National Conference stalwart, also raised the Article 370 issue.
Prior to Prime Minister making his speech, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke and in his observation, Mr Shah said, "we are committed to give full-fledged statehood".
The government side made a strong pitch for early completion of the delimitation process. "Mr Shah said the government is committed for full statehood and also early election," Azad said.
The Congress has laid emphasis on five-points for a road map and insisted most discussions revolved around these issues.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh said in his speech Prime Minister underlined the need for "all round" development with people's participation at the grassroots level.
National Conference leader and former CM, Omar Abdullah said, "There should be full statehood and civil service should get back the J&K cadre".
However, the NC leader the "delimitation" issue must be re-looked at. "Both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister said they want early completion of elections and statehood," Omar Abdullah said adding, "Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said but statehood must be restored as a first step to election".
"The whole purpose of Aug 5, 2019 was to united Kashmir with India....But delimitation exercise goes against this," the National Conference leader said.
Answering questions, Omar Abullah said, "ek meeting se na Dil ki doori na Delhi ki doori khatam hogi (One meeting cannot bridge the gulf between hearts and of Kashmir with New Delhi)".
PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti also said later the meeting was held in cordial atmosphere but she contradicted other leaders on the issue of Article 370.
Both Ghulam Nabi Azad and Omar Abdullah spoke about Supreme Court hearing the matter pertaining to Article 370, but PDP leader said her party will continue 'struggle' to get it back peacefully.
"But people of J&K are unhappy because of the Aug 5, 2019 decision. People there do not accept the manner Article 370 was abrogated. We will continue to work and struggle peacefully for bringing back the Article. It was given not by Pakistan. But Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel had given the Act," she said.
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India gave developments, world knows what Pakistan brought to Afghanistan: MEA
New Delhi: India on Thursday, June 24, reiterated that it stands firm with 'peace initiatives' in Afghanistan and asserted that while it has brought in developments, health clinics and roads in that country, the world knows what Pakistan has brought to Afghanistan.
"India has brought electricity, dams, schools, health clinics, roads and community projects to Afghanistan.And the world knows what Pakistan has brought to Afghanistan," MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi told the weekly virtual media briefing.
He said India supports all peace initiatives in Afghanistan and "has a long term commitment towards development and reconstruction of Afghanistan".
"In this context, we remain in touch with various stakeholders including regional countries".
On Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi recently making a statement on India's rolein Afghanistan, MEA spokesman said, "Regarding the comments on India's role in Afghanistan by Pakistan foreign minister, we firmly believe that it is for the Afghan people to decide their partners and the size of the partnership".
Mr Bagchi further said, "I would also draw our attention to the recent statement made by External Affairs Minister (Dr S Jaishankar) at the UNSC debate, which lays out concern at the upsurge of violence and our vision for the future".
China violated 1993, 1996 agreements:
The MEA spokesman taking questions on China accused it of violating the peace pacts of 1993 and 1996 that mandate that the two countries shall strictly respect and observe the Line of Actual Control.
"It is well recognized that it has been the Chinese actions over the last year, including amassing of a large number of troops close to border areas in the Western Sector, and trying to unilaterally alter the status quo along the LAC, which have seriously disturbed peace and tranquility in the border areas," he said.
These acts are in violation of "our bilateral agreements, including the 1993 and 1996 agreements" that mandate that the two sides shall strictly respect and observe the Line of Actual Control and that two sides will keep their military forces in the areas along the Line of Actual Control to a "minimum level", the spokesman asserted.
To a question on the next round of border meetings between India and China, he said, "As regards the WMCC meeting, I don’t have any update to share for the moment. We will certainly keep you informed as and when there are further developments".
Answering questions on CoWin App, he said, "....during his intervention at the recent G-7 meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had offered to share India’s experience and expertise in the successful use of open source digital tools in contact tracing and vaccine management.
In pursuance of this, the National Health Authority proposes to organize an event with partner countries across the world to share details of the indigenously developed CoWin App".
This App has been at the centre of India's vaccination drive. "We will provide further updates once the details of the event have been firmed up," he added.
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