Indian Government Firm on Kashmir Position

India Saturday once again asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is its integral part, a day after Pakistani Chief Executive Pervez Musharraf sought to downplay the recent remarks of External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh on the issue.

"The External Affairs Minister was not giving his personal views or simply making a statement. He was reiterating the provisions of the Constitution of India," a spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry said in response to questions on Musharraf's statement on Pakistan radio and television Friday night.

On Singh's assertion that Jammu and Kashmir belongs to India, Musharraf regretted the remarks of the External Affairs Minister and hoped that he had not meant it.

"I think we cannot go ahead like this, I hope this was restricted to a statement only and Singh did not mean that when we enter into a dialogue," he said.






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