Pakistan need not lecture India on its internal matters: MEA

Vikas Swarup in response to Pak's comments on Handwara incident called the country an epicentre of global terrorism

Pakistan is an epicentre of global terrorism and India does not need any lecture from it on its internal matters, India asserted today, reacting angrily to reported comments by Islamabad about the Handwara incident in Kashmir.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup also said comments by a senior minister in Pakistan's Punjab province that action cannot be taken against terror outfits JuD and JeM as the state itself was involved with them corroborated India's position.

He said the remarks of Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah elucidated the reason for lack of effective action even against those entities and individuals against whom Pakistan has international obligation to act, adding Islamabad must address the "unfortunate reality".

"If the Minister indeed said so, it sadly corroborates the view that we have always held about the support and freedom available to anti-India terrorist groups in Pakistan, including internationally sanctioned terrorist groups and individuals," he said.

The Pakistani minister had also ruled out the possibility of any legal action against the terror groups saying, "How can you prosecute a group with whom the state itself has been involved with?".

"It is upto authorities in Pakistan to address this unfortunate reality in the interest of a normal relationship between our two countries and in broader interest of Pakistan itself," he said.

Asked to respond to Pakistan Foreign Office's reported comments about protests following the Handwara incident Swarup, in a strong reaction, called Pakistan an epicentre of global terrorism and that Islamabad has no locus standi to comment on such internal issues.

"We do not need lectures from third parties, least of all from Pakistan, which would do well to reflect upon the state it finds itself in, as an epicentre of global terrorism and a country where religious minorities are routinely persecuted," said Swarup.

He said India's robust and vibrant democracy has enough redressal mechanisms to handle such cases.

"The entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Pakistan has no locus standi in commenting on matters that are entirely internal to the state of J&K and India.