'Issue With Pak Terror, Not Article 370'

“Name any country that openly conducts terrorism against its neighbour as part of its so-called foreign policy. Until the terrorism issue is resolved relations cannot be normal and it has become the root cause of the state’s relationship,” the External Affairs Minister told reporters on the completion of Modi government’s 100 days.

“We have a unique challenge from one neighbour. Until cross border terrorism is successfully stopped. Until that neighbour becomes a normal state that will remain a challenge.

“The world community has to recognise that,” Jaishankar stressed.

On Kashmir, Jaishankar said that India’s position will not change.

“Our position has not changed since 1972. For us that has been conveyed. Our position on the issue has prevailed and it will continue to prevail,” the minister noted.

Pakistan has been ranting its diabolic rhetoric against India since the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35 (A) that accorded special status to the region. The country has also ruled out the possibility of dialogue with India in the aftermath of the decision.

Islamabad downgraded its diplomatic ties with New Delhi and suspended bilateral trade. India maintains that the move on Kashmir is its “internal matter” – a stance that has been supported by many countries – and asked Pakistan to review these decisions so that normal channels for diplomatic communications are preserved.

In an exclusive interview to Al Jazeera, Pakistan Prime Minister had said that “in consideration to these consequences”, Pakistan approached the United Nations and other international fora on the Kashmir issue.

Jaishankar also said that he will be meeting his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the sidelines of upcoming 42nd United Nations General Assembly in New York.

“We will see then what do we have to discuss,” he said. (ANI)