India says Pakistan making highly-irresponsible statements on Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of trying to incite violence in Kashmir. MEA spokesperson says India has information on Pak attempt to infiltrate terrorists into India. With regard to test-firing of Ghaznavi ballistic missile by Pakistan, the MEA said India was aware of the missile test as per the established CBMs between the two countries

New Delhi: India on Thursday “strongly condemned” the irresponsible statements being made by the Pakistani leadership in the wake of Kashmir’s special status being removed by the Central government. Addressing the press, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said these statements amount to interference in India’s internal matter.

“We condemn the highly irresponsible statements coming from Pakistan. These statements are an interference in our internal matter,” Kumar said.

The spokesperson said many of these statements have made reference to jihad and were aimed at inciting violence in our territory.

“The statements also aimed at portraying an alarmist situation. However, the ground realities are completely different,” the officials told the media.

Kumar said it was time Pakistan understood that the world has seen through their intentions.

With regard to the test-firing of Ghaznavi ballistic missile by Pakistan, the MEA spokesperson said India was aware of the missile test as per the established CBMs (confidence-building measures) between the two countries.

Asked to comment on the reports that Pakistan was trying to infiltrate terrorists into India, Kumar said the “security forces are always prepared to deal with any eventuality”.

“We are aware that Pakistan uses terror as state policy and each time we have made them aware of our concerns. We have received information that Pakistan is trying to infiltrate terrorists. We demand that Pakistan must act against the terror groups operating on its soil,” the official said.

“It is important for them (Pakistan) to now start behaving like a normal neighbour. What do normal neighbours do? You don't push terrorists into a neighbouring country. You do normal talk, normal trade. This is not something which is happening from Pakistan,” he added.

Responding to questions on planned airspace closure by Pakistan for Indian airlines, Kumar said Islamabad was yet to confirm the move.

“What we understand is perhaps there were certain sectors which were temporarily closed. There have been NOTAM (a notice to airmen) which were issued, that too for a certain period. There has been no statement from Pakistan confirming the closure of airspace,” he stated.

Commenting on the letter written by Pakistan Minister Shireen Mazari to the United Nations, Kumar said “the letter is not even worth the paper on which it was written. Don’t want to give credence to it by reacting.”