Full statement by Sushma Swaraj on Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's Kashmir remark

NEW DELHI: External Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday hit out at Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif for his statement on Kashmir. Sharif, while addressing a public gathering on Friday said, "all our prayers are with them (Kashmir) and we are waiting for the day Kashmir becomes (part of) Pakistan".

Here's the full statement by Sushma Swaraj:

In the last few days, leadership of Pakistan, including its Prime Minister has praised as martyr, a wanted terrorist Commander ofthe banned terrorist organisation Hizb ul Mujahideen, Burhan Wani. He was carrying an award of Rs.10Lakh on his head because he had perpetrated heinous crimes including murder of elected representatives of local bodies and security forces/personnel.

Even more condemnable than these deplorable attempts from across our border to incite violence and glorify terroristsis the fact that these attempts have been undertaken by Pakistan’s state machinery in active partnership with UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed and other leading terrorists belonging to internationally proscribed organisations.

The country which has used fighter planes and artillery against millions of its own people has no right whatsoever to point a finger against our brave, professional and disciplined police and other security forces. Their restraint and respect for their fellow citizens is evident in the unusually high number of the injured personnel– more than 1700 – in the violence unleashed with the support from across the border in Jammu and Kashmir.

Behind Pakistan’s unabashed embrace and encouragement to terrorism lies its delusional though dangerous dream that ‘Kashmir will one day become Pakistan’, as Prime Minister Sharif said yesterday. The whole of India would like to tell Prime Minister of Pakistanthat this dream will not be realized even at the end of eternity. The whole of Jammu and Kashmir belongs to India. You will never be able to make this heaven on earth a haven for terrorists.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister says that his good wishes are with the people of Kashmir. Sadly, it’s not Pakistan’s good wishes or moral or diplomatic support butits weapons and terrorism that it has exported to Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan’s dirty money, dangerous terrorists and duplicitous state institutions seek to destabilize the region. Thestatement of none other than the Prime Minister of Pakistanhas betrayed this despicable design. But I would like to repeat that this dream of Pakistan will never be fulfilled.