Shinde dismisses third party mediation in Kashmir

Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde Monday dismissed third party mediation in Kashmir.

Shinde's comment came after Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is on a three-day official visit to Washington where he will meet US President Barack Obama, Sunday said US intervention would resolve the Kashmir issue.

"Kashmir is a bilateral issue, a third country can not interfere in it. This has been our stand since the time of Jawaharlal Nehru," Shinde said.

The home minister also said that firm steps are being taken to control infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We have lots of information of infiltration attempts, but the way the government of India has been taking firm steps against terrorism, they (terrorists) are not able to infiltrate deep," he said.

Shinde also said he will visit Samba sector in Jammu region Tuesday, where ceasefire has been violated recently.

"I am going to Samba sector on (Oct) 22 to see the situation," he said.

Several incidents of violation of ceasefire have been reported from the Samba sector recently.

On Sunday night, 13 posts of the Border Security Force (BSF) were targeted by Pakistani security forces.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that India should give a forceful reply to Pakistan.

"I fail to understand whether the Pakistan prime minister has a hand in it or he is not in control of the situation there," he said.

"If the violations continue, we are capable of responding with force. They have been targeting our villages in Samba, Ranbir Singh Pura and Akhnoor. People are abandoning their fields, homes and the schools are closed in these areas," Abdullah noted.

"We must strive to defeat these forces who are trying to destroy the lives of our people living close to the border," he said.