NEW DELHI: Congress on Thursday condemned Pakistan for its attempt to internationalise Kashmir issue and blamed the Narendra Modi government for its “incoherent” Pak policy for the emboldened move of the neighbouring country.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the government’s policy towards Pakistan is a “continuing story of U-turns, somersaults and flip-flops” that has undermined India’s national security and demanded an answer from the Prime Minister on what he has achieved so far on Pakistan after the steps taken by him.
“The belligerence and the impertinence which is emanating out of both the security and the political establishment in Pakistan, is to a very large measure because the BJP-NDA Government, the Prime Minister has failed to craft a coherent policy towards Pakistan…
“In a nutshell, Government of India’s policy towards Pakistan has been a continuing story of U-turns, somersaults and flip-flops. And this unfortunately and it is indeed very unfortunate, has undermined India’s national security,” he said at a press conference.
Mr Tewari said Pakistan’s blatant attempt to internationalise the very sensitive situation in Jammu and Kashmir, in which it has been an agent propagator for over two and a half decades now needs to be condemned in the strongest term possible.
“However, this also raises a very vital question about the complete absence of not only a strategy but even tactical approach which the Modi Government has qua Pakistan,” he said.
The Congress leader said the India-Pakistan relationship is a contentious and sensitive one and hoped the government handles the intricate situation in a “far more mature manner than what they have done in the past 25 months”.
“We would like to ask this Government that the time has come for the Prime Minister to tell the nation that what did he achieve during his visit to Lahore six months ago?,” he said, asking what is the discussion between the two NSAs that took place in Bangkok and any secret meeting that took place in Paris.
Continuing to needle India on the Kashmir issue, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday declared Hizbul commander Burhan Wani as a “martyr” and said July 19 will be observed as ‘black day’ to protest “atrocities” against Kashmiris by Indian security forces.
Addressing a special cabinet meeting here to discuss the situation in Kashmir, Mr Sharif termed the “movement of Kashmiris as a movement of freedom”.
PTI