New York:
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has strongly dismissed Pakistan's attempts to raise the issue of Kashmir at the United Nations.
Pakistan on Tuesday urged the United States to pressure India over Kashmir, saying recent unrest showed that New Delhi and not Pakistan sponsored terror was to blame for violence in the state.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV, S M Krishna says Pakistan has to end its illegal occupation of certain parts of J & K before interfering in India's internal issues.
Here is what Krishna told NDTV:
NDTV: At this international forum, Pakistan seems to be trying to internationalise the recent violence we have seen in Kashmir. The Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi, speaking in New York has asked the US to mediate. What is your response to this?
Krishna: Kashmir is an internal matter of India. We have taken certain actions in terms of assessing what needs to be done in Kashmir. As far as Pakistan is concerned, they are in illegal occupation of certain parts of J&K. I think that it is desirable that they vacate that first and then start advising India about how to go about doing things in Kashmir. An all-party delegation has just returned from Kashmir after having wide range of discussions, across the board, from all shades of opinion. The government of India is fully conscious about its responsibilities. There are institutional mechanisms and individual mechanisms, which will be put in place so that the genuine grievances of the people of Kashmir will be addressed. It happens in other parts of the country also. Whenever such strife is there we do the same mechanism so we will follow that.