Friday, January 16, 2009

Miliband Oversteps Welcome, Snubbed


India on Thursday snapped back at British foreign secretary David Miliband, who is on a visit to the country, for expressing views on Jammu and Kashmir, saying though the visiting dignitary is entitled to his views New Delhi did not need “unsolicited advice on internal issues in India.”

In an article published in The Guardian on Thursday, Miliband said: “The Lashkar-e-Toiba has roots in Pakistan and says its cause is Kashmir.”

In the article titled “War on Terror Was Wrong”, Miliband wrote: “Although I understand the current difficulties, resolution of the dispute over Kashmir would help deny extremists in the region one of their main calls to arms, and allow Pakistani authorities to focus more effectively on tackling the threat on their western borders.”

He, however failed to add if similar ploys could be negotiated in strife torn regions like the Gaza, where the Israeli army continued to UN resolutions and civilian lives by the hundreds.

In a carefully worded response to Miliband’s views, foreign ministry spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said: “Miliband is entitled to his views, which are clearly his own and are evolving. India is a free country and, even if we do not share his view, he is free to express them. However, we do not need unsolicited advice on internal issues in India like J&K.”

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