Sushma Swaraj rejects Pak’s move to make Gilgit-Baltistan as 5th state

Sushma Swaraj had a tough message for Pakistan in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Without mincing any words, the External Affairs Minister said that Islamabad’s attempt to declare Gilgit-Baltistan as its fifth province is unacceptable to India.

She also spoke strongly over the issue of attack on African nationals with reference to the Greater Noida incident.

Brushing aside Pakistan’s step to declare Gilgit-Baltistan as a fifth province by Pakistan, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has reiterated that entire Kashmir including Gilgit-Baltistan belongs to India and there should be no doubts regarding this.

Swaraj said this while presenting India’s stern stand on the matter when it was raised by Bhartruhari Mahtab of the Biju Janata Dal in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Dismissing all allegations that India has been mum on the issue, she said that the External Affairs Ministry had rejected it within 5 minutes of Pak having voiced its intention.

Referring to the attack on African students in Greater Noida she said that India is committed to the safety of all foreign nationals living on its soil.

She also strongly refuted the charge by the Dean of African nations that the Indian political leadership had taken no action in the case. She said that every attack on a foreign national is not a racist one. She said that such attacks are usually premeditated.

The Minister said that an investigation was on in the case in which 6 arrests have been made and that the results should be waited for.