PoK is part of Kashmir, no compromise on India's security: PM Modi

At an all-party meet, Modi said cross-border terrorism supported by Pakistan is the root cause of turbulence in the Valley

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) is a part of Jammu and Kashmir at a four-hour meeting of all major political parties on Friday, stating that dialogue must be initiated with expatriates all over the world from that region.

Modi said the government was ready to address "grievances" of all sections of people in Jammu and Kashmir as per the Constitution but made it clear that there cannot be any compromise on national integrity.

Modi, who chaired the all-party meeting on Kashmir attended by its ruling ally PDP and opposition parties, also termed cross-border terrorism supported by Pakistan as the root casue of turbulence in the Valley.

"Terrorism is the basis of tension in Kashmir and it is being supported by a neighbour," Modi told an all-party meeting convened to find ways to defuse tension in the Kashmir Valley.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh told reporters that the Prime Minister urged the participants at the meeting to "expose Pakistan's atrocities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Balochistan".

During the marathon four-hour-long meeting, which comes in the wake of continued unrest in Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani on July 8, some opposition parties asked the government to take a few immidiate confidence-building measures like putting an end to the use of pallet guns and relaxing AFSPA in some parts of the valley.

It was also suggested that an all-party delegation should visit Kashmir to assess the situation but the government did not make commitments regarding any of their demands.

Asserting that the Centre was committed to finding a permanent and peaceful solution as per the basic principles of the Constitution, Modi said "we all are committed to this national sentiment that there cannot be any compromise with the country's regional integrity."

"We are ready to address the grievances of all sections under the Constitution," the Prime Minister said.

This is the second time in less than a week Modi has reached out to the people of the state and shown willingness towards dialogue with all stake-holders there.

He also used the platform to hit out at Pakistan for its screwed human rights violations in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Balochistan and said it will have to answer to international community for the atrocities it was committing there.

Lok Sabha on Friday unanimously passed a resolution, appealing for urgent steps to restore order and peace in the valley while asserting that there can be no compromise with the country's integrity and security.

In the resolution read out by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, the House appealed to all sections of the society in Jammu and Kashmir to restore the confidence among the people in general and youth in particular.