Kashmir issue at CICA: MoS External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi slams Pakistan

Minister of state for external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi has slammed Pakistan for raising the Kashmir issue at an international forum, while turning a blind eye towards persecution of minorities within its own territories. She was speaking at the 6th summit of Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Kazakhstan capital Astana. Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on J&K, Lekhi said, adding it is unfortunate that Islamabad has used the CICA platform to propagate false and malicious propaganda against India. The efforts only served to distract from the theme and focus of the day’s discussions and cooperation among member states, she said. She termed Pakistan’s remarks a 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." Lekhi also reflected on Pakistan's dismal record in treatment of minority communities, and said it 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 said. "Frequent instances of attack and vandalism on places of worship of minority communities in Pakistan and countless cases of abduction, forced conversion and marriage of minor girls from minorities in Pakistan are evidence of their vulnerable status," Lekhi said in justification of her arguments.