India's stand on Kashmir unequivocal, well-articulated

New Delhi, Sep 27 (PTI) Rebuffing Pakistan over its
recent rhetoric on the north Indian state of Jammu and
Kashmir, India Monday affirmed that the state was its integral
part and the position was "unequivocal and well-articulated".

Reacting to Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Abdul
Basit's remarks Sunday on Indian policy on Kashmir,Indian
government sources said India's position on this issue was
"unequivocal" and was "well-articulated" to all its friends
and interlocutors.
"We are very clear in our mind that Jammu and Kashmir is
an integral part of India......And as a vibrant democracy,
India has sufficient mechanisms and constitutional safeguards
to address issues raised by its citizens in any part of the
country," the sources said.
Basit had, in an interview Sunday in Islamabad, said
that "when there is a change in Indian policy (on Kashmir
issue), which has been inflexible in the past, then certainly
talks will prove beneficial between the two countries."
Basit claimed that Jammu and Kashmir is not an integral
part of India and the Kashmir issue cannot be resolved within
the Constitution of India.
Replying to a question, Basit said the Kashmir issue had
been discussed by the two countries for decades.
It was at the top of the agenda in the composite dialogue
process but India "never seriously tried to resolve the
issue," he claimed.
"Whenever the dialogue process is restored, we hope India
will come up with a realistic approach," he said.
Pakistan has upped the ante on Kashmir in the last one
month, claiming that there can be no result-oriented
discussions with India on Kashmir unless New Delhi stops
treating it as the country's integral part and seeking a
solution within the ambit of the Indian Constitution. PTI PYK
SAK