'Indian-administered ...': India apprises US of its position

India has apprised the US of New Delhi's position on Jammu and Kashmir after the use of the term "Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir" in the US State Department's designation of Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin as a global terrorist.

Stating that India's position that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India is well known, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said: "The US government has been apprised of the same once again."

In a separate statement earlier in the day, Baglay said that the use of the term 'Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir' "merely affirms our position that Syed Salahuddin has been involved in cross-border terrorism against India", Baglay said.

"India's consistent position that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India is well known," he said.

The State Department, in the notification issued on June 26, stated: "Under Salahuddin's tenure as senior HM leader, HM has claimed responsibility for several attacks, including the April 2014 explosives attack in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir which injured 17 people."

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad called the use of this term a "sellout".

Welcoming the designation of Salahuddin as a specially designated global terrorist by the US, Baglay said: "This long-awaited step had been under discussion."

He said the joint statement issued on Monday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's talks with US President Donald Trump "is the strongest joint expression of the commitment of the two sides to be shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against terrorism and calls on Pakistan to ensure that its territory is not used to launch terrorist attacks on other countries".

--IANS

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