BJP criticizes Pak PM for raising Kashmir issue at UNGA

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday criticized Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for raising the Kashmir issue in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

"This is an old habit of Pakistan. Pakistan must be aware of the fact that according to the Simla Agreement and Lahore Declaration, Jammu and Kashmir is an issue which has only two stakeholders, India and Pakistan, so there was no point of raising Kashmir issue in the UNGA," said Patra.

"The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India has made the point absolutely clear that under the right of answering we would surely take up the question and we would answer it on the floor of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) today itself," Patra added.

Addressing the UNGA yesterday, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif raised the issue of Kashmir and urged the international community to resolve this issue.

Sharif also expressed his disappointment over the cancellation of the Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two nations.

In response to this, the MEA had replied that India will give a befitting reply to Islamabad on the floor of the UN.

MEA spokesperson Sayed Akbaruddin also made it clear that there was no meeting planned between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of the UNGA.

India had cancelled the Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two countries last month after Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit held talks with Kashmiri separatist leaders in New Delhi.