ugc_banner

PoK part of India, hope to have jurisdiction over it one day: Jaishankar

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Sep 17, 2019, 06:10 PM IST
main img
File photo: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Photograph:(IANS)

Story highlights

The External Affairs Minister was responding to a query about remarks from union ministers that if talks were to be held with Pakistan, these will be on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday that India's position on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has always been clear that it is a part of India. India's external affairs minister added that the country expects it will have "jurisdiction" over it one day.

"Our position on PoK has always been and will always be very clear. PoK is part of India and we expect one day that we will have the physical jurisdiction over it," Jaishankar said at a press conference on 100 days of Modi government's second term.

The external affairs Minister was responding to a question about remarks from union ministers that if talks were to be held with Pakistan, these will it be on PoK.

The foreign minister also informed that he will meet his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly later this month.

Addressing the confrence Jaishankar said that Pakistan will remain a "unique challenge" until it "successfully" addresses the problem of cross-border terrorism and "becomes a normal neighbour".

"We hope to build a better, stronger neighbourhood but recognising that we have a unique challenge from one neighbour (Pakistan) until the issue of cross-border terrorism is successfully addressed."

Talking about India-US relations, Jaishankar said that it has "come a long way," and assured that it is in "very good health." 

"India-US relations have come a long way, I assure you that relations are in very good health. As the relationship grows there will be issues. We've been talking to the US, my expectation is that the sharper edges will be addressed in the not too distant future," Jaishankar said.