India on Sunday said the Jammu and Kashmir is and will continue to be an integral part of the country and that the issue needed to be addressed is of vacation of territories illegally and forcibly occupied by Pakistan.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said there was no role or scope for any third-party mediation on the Kashmir issue.
India’s response came after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir during his visit to Islamabad, Pakistan.
Guterres also said that he was ready to help if both countries agreed for mediation.
“India’s position has not changed. Jammu & Kashmir has been, is and will continue to be an integral part of India. The issue that needs to be addressed is that of vacation of the territories illegally and forcibly occupied by Pakistan. Further issues, if any, would be discussed bilaterally. There is no role or scope for third party mediation,” Kumar said.
“We hope the UN Secretary General would emphasize on the imperative for Pakistan to take credible, sustained and irreversible action to put an end to cross-border terrorism against India, which threatens the most fundamental human right – the right to life, of the people of India, including in J&K,” Kumar added.
