Pak editorial slams Sushma, Modi over FM's remarks on Sharif

Islamabad, July 26: An editorial in Pakistani daily Dawn on Tuesday (July 26) slammed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) over Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj's "highly personal attack" against Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

In the wake of Sharif's remark at an election rally in Muzaffarabad in Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) that Kashmir will become a part of Pakistan one day, Sushma said the former was "delusional" in thinking so. [Only people of Kashmir can give verdict on Kashmir's future: Pak]

The editorial, titled "Indian FM's Remarks" took Sushma on to say: "A war against the people in India-held Kashmir has now also expanded into a war of words against the Pakistani government by the Indian foreign ministry."

It said Sharif's twin remarks on slain separatist Burhan Wani, whose death triggered a massive protest in Jammu and Kashmir, and the state itself "have raised hackles" in India but justified them as "anodyne". [Rajnath Singh asks Pakistan to behave]

The editorial said the Pakistani premier's remarks should be seen more in the context of his PML-N's election campaign in PoK region and the party politics in Pakistan rather than "a debate on the future status of an undivided Jammu and Kashmir". [Hizbul Mujahideen's obsession with young militants: The real reason]

It also said the "plight of the oppressed people" of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (which is called India-Held Kashmir in Pakistan) did not come up in the way it would have been during the election campaign.

Talking about Sushma's remarks, the Dawn editorial said that their "undiplomatic tone" was "almost designed to shut down bilateral diplomacy, which is already in limbo".

Sushma must have sought clearance from Modi, says editorial

The editorial didn't stop with Sushma either. It also said the latter must have sought approval from Prime Minister Narendra Modi before taking on Sharif and held that New Delhi was looking to complicate ties with Islamabad further.

"After all, Mr Modi himself recently cast doubt on the prospects for bilateral dialogue by questioning the internal powers dynamics of Pakistan," the editorial said, taking a dig at Modi.

It also said that the Pakistani said has taken a "largely sensible line" on what has been happening in Kashmir.

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