India hits out at Pakistan over 'Kashmir Solidarity Day' rallies

NEW DELHI: Reacting sharply, India today termed the activities undertaken in Pakistan by its leaders and "unsavoury elements" as "futile quest for territorial aggrandisement" to mark so called ' Kashmir Solidarity Day' and said it was high time it should focus on its problems.

"We are aware that there are multiplicity of activities that are being undertaken in Pakistan by their leaders and unsavoury elements who are wanted elsewhere. Pakistan's self destructive and futile quest for territorial aggrandisement in Jammu and Kashmir is well known," Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry Syed Akbaruddin said.

He was asked about India's position on rallies and speeches by various parties and groups including banned terrorist outfit JuD being held in Pakistan today.

"It is high time for Pakistan to start paying attention to all the problems that afflict them rather than covet what is not theirs and never will be," he said, asserting that Jammu and Kashmir was and will always remain part on India.

Earlier in the day in Pakistan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif described Kashmir as his country's "jugular vein" and said he has an emotional bond with Kashmir from childhood and would continue to struggle for the right of people of Kashmir.

Asked about the current visit by former Pakistan National Security Advisor Major General Mahmud Durrani and reports that there was some forward movement on the resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue anytime soon, he dismissed the reports in this regard.