NEW DELHI: India categorically rejected, last week, Pakistan’s demand for a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir.
Reacting sharply to Pakistani proposals that future talks aim at working out the modalities of a plebiscite, a statement from the Foreign Office criticized Islamabad for setting up conditions for the continuation of recently resumed bilateral dialogue.
“The question or the need for conducting any plebiscite in any part of India, including in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, simply does not arise. We regret that Pakistan is attempting through this propaganda exercise to obfuscate the realities of the situation in J&K,”” the External Affairs Ministry spokesman said.
He, however, reiterated India’s readiness to continue discussions with Pakistan “on all issues pertaining to bilateral relations in accordance with the commitments and mutual obligations of the two countries’ envisaged under the Simla Agreement.
‘The latest Pakistani move is quite clearly an attempt to counter the diplomatic advantage gained by India after the recently concluded foreign secretary level talks. While India shrewdly offered to discuss all the outstanding issues including Kashmir, and proposed further talks within four months, Pakistan emerged as the recalcitrant partner, placing conditionality’s and refusing to discuss dates for the next round.
Official sources said that Pakistan’s ploy of linking future talks, to discussions on the modalities of a plebiscite, indicates that Islamabad is simply not serious about continuing the bilateral dialogue.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 28, 1994
