ISLAMABAD - Foreign Affairs Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Thursday said that the Pak-India tension was natural as the Kashmir issue hurdled peace.

Addressing a seminar on Kashmir here, organised by the National Press Club, Qureshi said India was not serious in resolving the Kashmir issue resulting in the unending tension between the nuclear armed neighbours.

“Pakistan has always been ready for talks. Is we resolve the occupied Kashmir issue, there will be no tension,” he contended.

The foreign minister said the whole nation was united on Kashmir issue which was also a main component of Pakistan’s foreign policy. He said the Kahsmiris had appreciated his address at the United Nations General Assembly’s recent session.

Qureshi said the meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Contact Group on Kashmir was also an impressive sitting.  He acknowledged the support by foreign ministers of Turkey and Azerbaijan for the Kashmir cause.

Qureshi said neither there was any confusion in the stance of Kashmiri people nor it has any moral or legal loophole.  He said the Indian stance on Kashmir was contrary to the basic concept of the division of the subcontinent which was based on including the Muslim majority population in Pakistan.

The foreign minister hoped that the Kashmiris’ slogan of ‘Kashmir banay ga Pakistan’ (Kashmir will become Pakistan) would be realized.  He said Kashmir was illegally annexed with India and highlighted the role of Kashmiri Maharaja in this regard. “The international community must be made realize the sensitivity of the issue which had begotten three wars between the two nations,” he said.

He nullified India’s stance that Kashmir issue was a mere propaganda. The foreign minister questioned as why India had “deployed around 0.7 million troops in Kashmir and enforced special laws there instead of ruling the territory with normal laws.”

He asked Indian leadership about the rationale behind the amendment in Article 35A of the constitution if the Kashmiris’ stance carried no weight. “All of these facts negated the Indian stance and promoted the cause of Kashmiri people,” he added.

The minister also rejected the Indian stand on Kashmir citing Lord Mount Batton’s letter to Maharaja and Jawaharlal Nehru’s letter to Nawab Liaqat Ali Khan which clearly mentioned Kashmir as a dispute besides suggesting its resolution though plebiscite. He said Pakistan could never be oblivious to the Kashmir issue. “My blood does not allow me to give up this issue. My conscience does not allow me,” he remarked.

He appreciated the role of former Jamat-e-Islami leader late Qazi Hussain Ahmed and said there was no difference of opinion in Pakistan on Kashmir issue.

The minister said Kashmir was still on the agenda of the United Nations and the Kashmiri people had drew world’s attention to this issue by rendering immense sacrifices. He said Kashmir struggle had now spread across the world. Meanwhile, Qureshi held a meeting with US Chargé d’Affaires Paul Jones. The two discussed the regional security situation and agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations, the foreign ministry said. “They also agreed to work together to achieve the common objectives in the region especially in the backdrop of Afghan situation and the peace talks currently going on,” said the ministry.