Terror, Pakistani interference cause tension: India

In a riposte to Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain's statement that Kashmir was the main reason of bilateral tensions between the two neighbours, India on Thursday said terrorism and "Pakistan's repeated interference in the internal affairs of India" were the main reasons for the tension.

"I would say that Kashmir is not the main cause of tension," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in his weekly media briefing here.

"The main cause for the lack of peace and the continued instability in our region is externally-sponsored terrorism and Pakistan's repeated interference in the internal affairs of India," he said.

He was responding to a question on Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain's statement that Kashmir was the reason why Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two countries were stalled.

Addressing a joint session of the Pakistan parliament on Wednesday, Hussein said that despite Pakistan's efforts for resumption of talks and its offer for a joint probe in the January 2 Pathankot air base terror attack, the Foreign Secretary-level talks remained suspended.

"We believe the main cause of tension in the region is the Kashmir issue," he was quoted as saying.

Swarup's reply was also in the backdrop of Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakariya's accusation that India was conspiring to destabilise Karachi and the southern province of Balochistan.

--IANS

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