Union minister Venkaiah Naidu today lashed out at Pakistan over Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin’s threat of a nuclear attack on India over the Kashmir issue.
“Who is he and who has given him the right to speak about Kashmir? Dhamki se kuch nahin hoga (His threats will come to nothing),” said Naidu.
Criticising Pakistan for allowing Salahuddin and LeT chief Hafiz Saeed operate freely on its soil, Naidu said Pakistan needs to sit down and analyse if it wished to continue giving such a long rope to terrorists operating from its soil.
“They (terrorists) keep talking bad (things like this) just for publicity. Pakistan must seriously think if encouraging such people is right,” he said.
Earlier today, Salahuddin had threatened a nuclear war against India over the issue of violent protests that occurred in Kashmir Valley after the killing of Hizbul’s top commander Burhan Wani.
“Pakistan is duty bound, morally bound, politically bound and constitutionally bound to provide concrete, substantial support to the ongoing freedom struggle on the territory of Kashmir. And, if Pakistan provides this support, there is a great chance of a nuclear war between the two powers,” he said to reporters in Karachi.
“I can predict a fourth war with certainty because Kashmiris are no longer willing to compromise, come what may,” he further added.
After the encounter of Burhan Wani on July 8, the Kashmir Valley witnessed violent clashes between security forces and those protesting against Wani’s encounter that have left as many as 60 people dead so far.
Just few days after Wani’s killing, Pakistan started needling India on the Kashmir issue.
In his message on the occasion of ‘black day' -- organised to express solidarity with the people of the Valley -- he had said, “Today we are observing black day to express solidarity with Kashmiris and are giving a strong message to the world that Pakistanis are with them (Kashmiris) for their struggle to get their rights.”
Sharif had also accused India of committing human rights violations in the Valley.
He said that Kashmir is not an internal matter of India and demanded a plebiscite even as the Pakistan government's call to observe 'Black Day' to express solidarity with the people of the Valley received a lukewarm response from the public.
Last week Sharif, described the Kashmir issue as the main pillar of Islamabad’s foreign policy.
