Salman Kurshid differs with PM Modi, says India should focus on PoK, not meddle in Balochistan

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Monday disagreed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's point of view on Balochistan.

At a time when Balochistan leaders are praising India's efforts for advocating the restive area's concerns at the international platform, Khurshid, a former union minister, said, “Balochistan is different from any part of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir... India's right and entitlement is over PoK and if anyone occupies part of Jammu and Kashmir we have a right to complain and take it back from them.”

“To interfere in Pakistan's internal matters, no matter how appropriate it may be in terms of human rights, political aspirations of people, it is not our business. If we get involved in Pakistan's internal matters, it would give them a course to interfere in our internal matters and this would be the worst thing to do for our own country.”

Justifying his point, Khurshid further stated, “Do we allow the Americans to speak about the atrocities in India, we don't. Do we speak for any other country, we don't, There is a sense of restrain that we have to show, when we are dealing with an independent sovereign nation. But wherever our land, our people are concerned, we have the right to question.”

“Balochistan wants to be independent it is their concern, not India's. PoK is our concern, it is our land and our sovereignty,” Khurshid asserted.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sambit patra termed Khurshid's statements as shocking. He tweeted: “Shocking statement by former Foreign Minister Salman Khursid saying that Human Right Violations in Baloochistan are none of India's concern!”

Notably, Balochistan leaders Brahumdagh Bugti and Ashraf Sherjan have expressed their gratitude towards India for highlighting the Balochistan issue internationally.

BRP leader Ashraf Sherjan today thanked PM Modi for highlighting the Balochistan issue internationally. Sherjan hoped that India and Balochistan will soon celebrate Independence Day together.

Bugti on Sunday said if the international community could interfere in Libya and Syria, why not in Balochistan, where people were leaving their own nation out of helplessness.

In his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 70th Independence Day, PM today hit out Pakistan for "glorifying" terrorists.

PM Modi in his I-Day speech came out openly in support of "freedom" for Balochistan and "PoK."