Pakistan has ruled out any diplomatic engagement with India over New Delhi’s decision to strip the restive Jammu and Kashmir state of its special status, said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi:
"I do not think of any diplomatic engagement in near future (in such conditions). Even if some friends want a meeting then it will be useless. Pakistan has not avoided resolving issues with India through talks and Prime Minister Imran Khan's attitude has been positive from the day one. But they (India) ran away from dialogue and they took a step against the UN resolutions on August 5", Qureshi told reporters in Islamabad on Wednesday.
Indian leaders have already made it clear that any talks with Islamabad would only be on the issue of the Kashmir region under Pakistan’s administration. Ever since India and Pakistan gained freedom from British colonial rule in 1947, Kashmir has been a major flashpoint between the two neighbours.
In early August, the Indian government revoked the special status of Kashmir and Jammu state as determined by Article 370 of the Constitution. The law granting special status to the state provided Jammu and Kashmir with an autonomous constitution, as well as decision-making rights in various domains excluding defence, foreign affairs and communications.
