New Delhi: Addressing party workers in Multan region in Punjab province of Pakistan on Friday, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had purportedly said his PPP would get back entire Kashmir from India. “I will take back Kashmir, all of it, and I will not leave behind a single inch of it because, like the other provinces, it belongs to Pakistan,” said the scion of the highly influential Bhutto family. When he made these remarks, he was flanked by former Prime Ministers Yousaf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf. The young leader, who has announced plans to contest the next general elections in 2018, heads the secular PPP which officially wants good ties with India.
Meanwhile, the BJP has described the statement as “immature” and “childish” and said the territory would always remain an integral part of India. “Kashmir is very much a part of India and will remain so. Any discussion on it is not acceptable to us. Kashmir resides in the hearts of Indians,” said BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain. The party said that Pakistani leaders are known for making such provocative statements and India’s security forces are capable of protecting its territory and give a fitting reply to Paki-stan, as it has in the past.
