The Home Minister, Mr. Y. B. Chavan, declared in the Lok Sabha to-day [Nov. 28, New Delhi] that Pakistan had nothing to do with the Kashmir problem, “except that it has occupied some territory, which we have to deal with.” He was replying to Mr. Kanwar Lal Gupta who had asked whether the Government would give a categorical assurance that Pakistan was not a party to the Kashmir issue and there would be no compromise on it with that country. Mr. Gupta had drawn attention to Sheikh Abdullah’s statement that there were three parties – Kashmir, India and Pakistan – to the dispute. Mr. Chavan said he had amply made it clear that Pakistan had nothing to do with Kashmir which “is our internal problem.” Mr. P. C. Verma referred to the Sheikh’s statement at a Press Club meeting here on October 15 and asked in what capacity he had talked about Kashmir when he claimed he was not an Indian citizen. On Kashmir, the Sheikh treated India and Pakistan on the same level, Mr. Verma said. Mr. Chavan said he had read the Press Club statement with great interest. But “reading a matter is one thing and taking official recognition is another.”
