MEA condemns 'irresponsible statements' by Pakistan's leaders, says neighbouring country must act against terror groups operating from its soil

In a press briefing held on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar strongly condemned the Pakistani leadership’s “highly irresponsible” statements on matters internal to India. “Their (Pakistani leaders) statements include references to jihad and are far from ground realities which are different from the situation they are trying to create. The world will not be fooled by Pakistan’s claims, which are based on lies and deceit,” the MEA spokesperson said, in a reference to Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan’s statements on Kashmir. [caption id=“attachment_6311151” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. Twitter/@ANI[/caption] Confirming reports of cross-border infiltration attempts by Pakistan, Kumar said that the neighbouring country uses terror as a “state policy”. “We have made them aware of our concerns. We have received info that Pakistan is trying to infiltrate terrorists. It is their international obligation to act against the terror groups operating on its soil,” he said. Kumar added that it is important that Pakistan begins to behave like a “normal neighbour” by engaging in normal dialogue and trade. Khan has been consistently attacking India on its decisions on Jammu and Kashmir in the last three weeks. On Monday, Khan said he will raise the issue at every international forum, including at the UN General Assembly. Kumar also spoke of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 on 5 August, and said that security forces are “prepared to deal with any eventuality”. He reiterated the information provided by J&K governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday. “There are no day-time restrictions in 162 of the 197 police station areas, banking and ATM facilities are functioning normally and landlines are being opened in a phased manner,” he said. He also added that all reports regarding the shortage of essential drugs are false. The MEA spokesperson said that the Jammu and Kashmir administration is handling the situation in the state with “maturity and restraint” and not a “single life has been lost or single bullet been fired”. “The administration will ensure preservation of language, heritage and identity of region. Election to block development councils will be completed in October,” he said. The MEA spokesperson also said that there has been no statement from Pakistan concerning the closure of their airspace. He said that India and Pakistan will remain in touch through diplomatic channels regarding the demand for unimpeded access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, following the International Court of Justice judgment.