Chidambaram rubbishes Pak's Kashmir claim

He said people's participation in the Lok Sabha polls in J&K was a testimony to the fact that the state belongs to India

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Thursday rubbished Pakistan Army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif's claim that Kashmir was Islamabad's "jugular vein".

"We reject this statement. I don't think any democracy in the world doubts that Kashmir is and will be India's integral part," Chidambaram told media persons here.

He said people's participation in the Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir was a testimony to the fact that the state belongs to India.

"Only a few days ago, people in large numbers participated in the general election (in Kashmir)," he said.

The minister said such statements from Pakistani generals were no more than rhetoric and need not be dignified with a response.

"This is not very different from what they have been saying in the past. I don't think we need to come out with a response every time," he said.

Sharif had told Pakistan's Geo TV channel that Kashmir was an international dispute over which UN resolutions existed. He said the resolutions were crucial for peace and stability in the region.