BQ:

It is my understanding that Russia is well aware of India’s consistent position to address all outstanding issues with Pakistan bilaterally in an environment free of terrorism and violence. — MEA spokesperson

Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 15

India today dismissed Pakistan’s position welcoming the offer of Russian President Vladmir Putin to mediate between India and Pakistan. In a press briefing in Islamabad earlier today, spokesperson for the Pakistan Foreign office Nafees Zakaria said Pakistan welcomed Putin’s offer to ease tension between the two neighbours.India, however, was quick to reject the Pakistani claims and the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said no offer of mediation between India and Pakistan was made by Russia to India. “It is my understanding that Russia is well aware of India’s consistent position to address all outstanding issues with Pakistan bilaterally in an environment free of terrorism and violence.”Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had met Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Kazakhstan earlier this month.This is the latest in the exchange of words between India and Pakistan with relations going from bad to worse in the last year or more. Pakistan has also tried consistently to bring global attention to the Kashmir issue, which India maintains is a bilateral issue.Kashmir is an issue on that both countries have also been engaged in bitterly at the ongoing session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. Pakistan has repeatedly pointed to the alleged human rights violation in J&K, which India has strongly denied pointing instead to the violations in PoK and Balochistan.The worrying part for India, apart from this latest development, is the growing Russia-Pakistan ties. While India has historically enjoyed warm relations with Russia, especially in the defence sector, there can be little denying the fact that Russia is steadily increasing cooperation with Pakistan.