NCP Chief Sharad Pawar lauded Pakistan for its hospitality and said that Pakistanis believe that even if they can’t go to India to meet their relatives, they treat an Indian as their relative. I have visited Pakistan and received a good hospitality there: Pawar. Ruling party here is spreading false things for political benefits, the NCP chief said. Pawar's statement comes amid ongoing tension between India and Pakistan

Mumbai: In what could spark a fresh controversy, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, on Sunday, heaped praises on Pakistan for its hospitality and accused the ruling government at the Centre of spreading a false narrative about the country for political gains.

Speaking at an event on minorities at party headquarters, Pawar said, “People here say Pakistanis are facing injustice and are unhappy but it is not true. Such statements are being said only for political gains without understanding the actual situation in Pakistan. Ruling party here is spreading false things for political benefits.”

“I have visited Pakistan and received hospitality there. Pakistanis believe that even if they can’t go to India to meet their relatives, they treat an Indian as their relative,” he added.

Pawar's statement comes amid ongoing tension between India and Pakistan over Narendra Modi government's recent decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir that was granted under Article 370.

The NCP chief also hit out at the central government for abrogating Article 370 and said that the move will result in more terrorism in the Valley. 

"By scrapping Article 370, the government wants to convey that they are opposing a minority state and in the process, this action of theirs will lead to more terrorism in the Valley," he added.

The BJP government at the Centre has time and again accused Pakistan of playing divisive politics and carrying out atrocities on minorities.

On Saturday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh while speaking at an event in Surat, said, "The partition of India and Pakistan took place on the grounds of religion, and those divisive politics proved to be counterproductive to Pakistan as it saw further partition of its territory in 1971."

"Minorities are currently suffering in Pakistan and if this situation continues, then Pakistan is bound to see another disintegration and no power in the world will be able to help it," the Union defence minister added.

After the revocation of Article 370, Pakistan downgraded its diplomatic relations with India and demanded that the special status of Kashmir should be restored. It also approached various international forums seeking mediation on the issue.

However, India has repeatedly stressed that Kashmir is its internal matter and that Pakistan has no locus standi on the issue.