No Modi-Nawaz meeting in Astana, says Sushma

Says ICJ has no role in Kashmir; both countries

bound to follow Shimla Accord, Lahore Declaration

NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday ruled out any meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi during their stay in Kazakhstan this week and asserted that Pakistan could not take Kashmir issue to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

According to foreign media, she said "talks and terror cannot go together" and added that India was engaged with other countries on the issue of cross-border terrorism. "No meeting is scheduled either from their side or from our side," Sushma told a press conference.

She was asked if Modi and Nawaz would meet on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit at Astana, Kazakhstan on June 8-9. Asked about reported remarks of a Pakistani law officer that Islamabad will take the Kashmir issue to ICJ after India approached the global court in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, the Indian minister said, "Pakistan cannot take Kashmir issue to ICJ. The Shimla agreement and Lahore Declaration are very clear on Kashmir issue that it can only be resolved bilaterally. The two countries are bound by these bilateral agreements."

Rejecting suggestions that the government had a "flip- flop" policy in handling Pakistan, she said India was very clear that "it wants to hold dialogue, resolve all issues bilaterally without mediation from any third country, organisation or anyone else. But at the same time terror and talks cannot go together."

She also said that New Delhi was asking other countries not to see cross-border issue or terrorism emanating from Pakistan from the prism of India but see if the international terrorism was in anyway linked with that country.

On Pakistan's stance that it will raise jurisdiction on the merit of the Jadhav case, she said India had a very strong argument and would win the case. She claimed that India's case was based on Pakistan's violation of Vienna Convention under which consular access was not only "essential but compulsory".