Deterrorise Pakistan for peace in the region: India

NEW DELHI: India answered Pakistan’s newest attempt to rake up the Kashmir issue at an international forum by describing the country as a "prime sponsor of terrorism" and asserting that demilitarising Kashmir is not the way to achieve peace but "deterrorising" Pakistan is as it uses terror as a legitimate instrument of statecraft.

After Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif raised the Kashmir issue in his address to the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly, India on Thursday also called for "early vacation" of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Sharif, in his address, termed non-resolution of the Kashmir issue a failure of the world body and proposed a four-point "peace initiative" with India which includes demilitarisation of Kashmir. He also portrayed Pakistan as the "primary victim" of terrorism.

"In truth, it (Pakistan) is actually a victim of its own policies of breeding and sponsoring terrorists," said Abhishek Singh, first secretary in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN, exercising India’s right of reply. External affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted: "To de-militarise Kashmir is not the answer, to deterrorise Pakistan is."