Play responsible role in region: India tells Pakistan

New Delhi, Nov 21 (UNI) India today lashed out at Pakistan for commenting on Jammu and Kashmir elections and asked Islamabad to play a responsible role in the region in its own interest and not interfere in India's internal matters.

Responding to comments made by the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson on the ongoing elections in J&K, a spokesman of the External Affairs Ministry said here comments like the ones made on J and K hardly suggested that Islamabad was prepared to do so.: ''...It is most unfortunate that Pakistan has commented on an internal matter of India. We strongly object to these remarks. It is in Pakistan's own interest to play a responsible role in the region.

Comments such as these hardly suggest that it is prepared to do so,'' the spokesman said.

Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Muhammad Sadiq told reporters in Islamabad yesterday that elections in Jammu and Kashmir could not be construed as ''authentic expression'' of the aspirations of the people of the state.

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