New York:
A statement at the United Nations (UN) by their Secretary General Ban Ki Moon calling for an end to violence and restraint in Kashmir has evoked strong reactions in New Delhi.
It was barely a month ago that United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon's controversial comments on India-Pakistan dialogue had Delhi's back up. His office had released an email saying he encouraged both countries to rekindle the spirit of composite dialogue, but it was hastily withdrawn following strong reactions from Delhi, with his office saying it was wrongly attributed to the UN Secretary General.
Today, he issued a new statement, calling for an immediate end to violence in Kashmir and appealed for restraint by all parties.
Government sources reacted by reiterating the PM's statement that violence must end for meaningful dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir, and in New York, even though the Ministry of External Affairs privately said it was prepared for Pakistan to raise the Kashmir issue at the UN, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna told Pakistan not to interfere in India's internal issues.
"As far as Pakistan is concerned, I think they are in illegal occupation of certain parts of J&K, so I think it is desirable that they vacate that and then start advising India as to how to go about doing things in Kashmir," said Krishna.
Expectedly, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi blamed New Delhi for the violence, and urged the US to put pressure on India to resolve the Kashmir dispute.
It's now confirmed that both ministers will hold a bilateral meeting in New York next week, on the sidelines of the UNGA. This will be the first such meeting since the failed and bitter meeting between Krishna and Qureshi in Islamabad in July.