Indian officials manhandle Pak journalists in Amritsar

Try to stop Pak high commissioner from talking to media

AMRISTAR: Indian authorities on Sunday manhandled Pakistani journalists and tried to stop them from talking to Abdul Basit, Pakistani High Commissioner to New Delhi.Pakistani journalists were trying to speak to Abdul Basit, when an Indian official tried to prevent them from doing so. Among the journalists who were trying to speak to Basit was also Geo News reporter Mona Khan.

"No one can stop me from speaking to these people," Abdul Basit scolded the Indian official. "These are Pakistani journalists and these are my people. No one can stop me from speaking to them," he said.

Embarrassed, the Indian official backed off and apologised a couple of times to Abdul Basit. Abdul Basit said the issue of Kashmir must be resolved according to the wishes of Kashmiris, adding that the issue is the root cause of tensions between India and Pakistan.

He said that that peace cannot prevail in South Asia without the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. “Pakistan has always favoured talks but we want them on equal terms,” he added. Terming Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz meeting positive, he said that Pakistan was making integrated efforts to eliminate terrorism

Basit said that joint statement of Heart of Asia Conference was a positive development. However, he said, hurling accusations on Pakistan will not stop bloodshed and violence in Afghanistan.

He said that the entire leadership of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was in Afghanistan and Afghan authorities along with other countries must stop them. He further said that all involved countries must work together to eliminate terrorism in the region.