Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi asked Pakistan to set its own house in order

Hitting out at Pakistan for raising the Kashmir issue at the 6th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi asked it to vacate the Indian territories that are under its "illegal and forcible occupation".

She also highlighted Pakistan's dismal record when it came to the treatment of minority communities, saying it "would be well advised to set its house in order instead of lecturing the world community".

Delivering India's statement at the summit, she reiterated that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been and will remain integral parts of India and added that Pakistan lacks the legal authority to comment on India's internal affairs.

"It will do well to stop the grave and persistent human rights violations in Pakistan occupied Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh (PoJKL); refrain from effecting any further material changes in the status of PoJKL; and vacate the Indian territories that are under its illegal and forcible occupation," she said.

The MoS for External Affairs also pointed out that Pakistan's remarks constitute gross interference in India’s internal affairs, sovereignty and territorial integrity which is inconsistent with the CICA Declaration on the Principles Guiding Relations between the CICA Member States of September 1999.

MoS Lekhi said, "It is unfortunate that Pakistan has chosen to once again misuse the CICA platform to propagate false and malicious propaganda against my country and distract from the theme and focus of today’s discussions and cooperation among Member States."

She continued by saying that Pakistan is the "global epicenter of terrorism," that it continues to be the "source of terrorist activities" across the world, including in India, and that it continues to make no investments in human development instead of giving support to the infrastructure of terrorism.

She also said that Pakistan must stop all cross-border terrorism against India right away and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure. "For many decades, India has been affected particularly by the menace of cross-border terrorism sustained through financial, political and moral support of some states," MoS Lekhi added.

She also used the opportunity to highlight the dismal treatment of minority communities in Pakistan.

"With its own record of the dismal treatment of minority communities, Pakistan would be well advised to set its house in order instead of lecturing the world community. This is a country where religious and ethnic minorities are systematically persecuted," she pointed out.

According to MoS Lekhi, the frequent instances of attack and vandalism on the places of worship of minority communities in Pakistan and the countless cases of abduction, forced conversion and marriage of minor girls from minority communities in Pakistan are evidence of the vulnerable status of minorities in this country.