‘Jammu & Kashmir never an issue with Pakistan’

Indian home minister claims if there is an issue it is Azad Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: Indian Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday came down heavily on Pakistan saying if the neighbouring country does not allow an NIA team to visit there for probe into the attack on the Pathankot Airbase, adding it would be a "betrayal" to India.

Singh also said that Jammu and Kashmir has never been an issue between India and Pakistan and if there is an issue between the two countries, it is the issue of Azad Kashmir. Addressing a gathering of prominent persons and intellectuals here, the Home Minister said when the Joint Investigation Team of Pakistan proposed to visit India for investigating the Pathankot terror attack case, it was mutually agreed that after the visit of the Pakistani investigators to India, a team of National Investigation Agency would also visit the neighbouring country for probe and interrogate some people.

"But so far Pakistan has not given permission to the NIA to visit there. If the NIA team is not allowed to visit Pakistan, it will be a betrayal to India," he said. Referring to the Jammu and Kashmir, the home minister said Kashmir has never been an issue for India and Pakistan.

"If there is an issue, it is Azad Kashmir, not Kashmir," he said. The home minister said Pakistan should prove that it was not supporting terrorism by allowing the NIA team to visit Pakistan. Singh said it was established that the attackers of Pathankot Airbase came from Pakistan and India has taken the issue very seriously.