Pak Retaliates to MEA’s Summon to Envoy Over Hurriyat Leader Talks

The Pakistan Foreign Office said Qureshi spoke with the Hurriyat leader about efforts to highlight Kashmir issue.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale (left) summoned Pak Envoy Sohail Mahmood (right) and told him that Pakistan Foreign Minister’s conversation with Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was a “brazen attempt” to subvert India’s unity and violate its territorial integrity.

(Photo: The Quint)

In retaliation to India’s foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale summoning Pakistan envoy Suhail Mahmood on Wednesday, 30 January, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, on Thursday, 31 January, summoned Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria, to protest against the Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) statement- on Pakistan Foreign Minister SM Qureshi’s telephone call to Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had on Wednesday, summoned Pakistan envoy Sohail Mahmood and categorically told him that Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's telephonic conversation with separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was a "brazen attempt" to subvert India's unity and violate its sovereignty and territorial integrity, ANI reported.

The Ministry of External Affairs, in a late evening statement, said the Pakistan High Commissioner was “cautioned” that persistence of such behaviour by Pakistan will have “implications”.

The Pakistan Foreign Office on Tuesday, 29 January, had said that Qureshi spoke with the Hurriyat leader and discussed with him the efforts made by the Pakistan government to highlight the Kashmir issue.

“The High Commissioner of Pakistan was summoned by the Foreign Secretary tonight in connection with the telephone conversation initiated by the Foreign Minister of Pakistan with Mirwaiz Umar Farooq from the All Parties Hurriyat Conference.” 

MEA Statement

It said Gokhale conveyed to the Pakistani envoy that the "deplorable act" had violated all norms for the conduct of international relations, even by Pakistan's own standards and that Qureshi's actions were tantamount to direct interference in the internal affairs of its neighbour.

“The Foreign Secretary conveyed the Government of India’s condemnation in the strongest terms of this latest brazen attempt by Pakistan to subvert India’s unity and to violate our sovereignty and territorial integrity, by none other than the Pakistan Foreign Minister.”

MEA statement

In the strongly-worded statement, the MEA further said Gokhale underscored that the action has confirmed yet again, that Pakistan officially abets and encourages individuals associated with terrorism and anti-India activities.

“It has exposed to the entire international community Pakistan’s duplicity in professing their desire for normal relations with India on the one hand, while openly inciting anti-India activities on the other.” 

MEA statement

"The Pakistan High Commissioner was categorically informed by the Foreign Secretary that the Government of India expects Pakistan to desist forthwith from such actions. He was cautioned that persistence of such behaviour by Pakistan will have implications," the MEA added.

The MEA asserted that the entire Jammu and Kashmir "has been, is and shall remain the integral part of India and that Pakistan has no locus standi in any matters related to the State of Jammu and Kashmir, has been made clear again to the High Commissioner of Pakistan." The Pakistan Foreign office said on Tuesday, 29 January that Qureshi, during his conversation with Farooq, also mentioned the June 2018 report issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and a report of the UK Parliament.