World trusts India on Kashmir, not us, admits Pakistan minister

Islamabad, Sep 12: A Pakistani minister has claimed that Islamabad has failed to garner the desired support from the international community on Jammu and Kashmir after New Delhi abrogated provisions of Article 370.

Speaking on a talk show on Pakistani news channel Hum News on Wednesday, Pakistan's Interior Minister Brigadier Ijaz Ahmed Shah blamed the "ruling elite class" for "destroying" the image of the country.

"People do not believe us in the international community. We say they (India) impose curfew and are not giving medicines to people of Jammu and Kashmir. People do not believe us but they believe them. The ruling elite has destroyed the country. People think we are not a serious nation," he said, adding "Pakistan should do a soul searching."

Ijaz Shah, who hold one of the topmost ministries in Pakistan's government, also admitted on national television that Pakistan spent millions on proscribed terror groups like Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat ud Dawa (JuD) and should now bring them into the mainstream.

"We have spent millions of rupees on JuD," he said while responding to a question.

The minister is considered as a powerful minister and is close to both Imran Khan and the military establishment.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday brought embaracement to Imran Khan when he described Jammu and Kashmir as an "Indian state".

Pakistan has so far been referring to Jammu and Kashmir as "India administered Kashmir".