Bilawal Bhutto blasts Modi for Balochistan comments

From Sajjad Hussain Islamabad, Aug 17 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modishould first account for the alleged "atrocities" committed byIndia in Kashmir before talking about Balochistan, Pakistan’smain Opposition leader Bilawal Bhutto said today and vowed tomaintain the country’s sovereignty at every cost. Taking exception to Modi’s statement about Balochistan andGilgit-Baltistan from the ramparts of Red Fort on August 15,Bilawal said that the words used by the prime minister were"highly provocative, irresponsible and inflammatory". "Modi should first stand accountable to the internationalcommunity for unending and perpetual atrocities againstKashmiris, Muslims and Dalits in Kashmir and in India," saidBilawal, chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). "Balochistan is an integral part of a democratic Pakistanand follies of a dictator cannot empower the Indian PrimeMinister to speak on our internal issues," he said. Bilawal said that Kashmir was under curfew and "manyinnocent Kashmiris" have been killed in the last two months. "Modi may have some yaars (close friends) in Pakistan butthe people of Pakistan won’t tolerate such language from himagainst Balochistan or any other integral part of Pakistan. Weare a sovereign nation having all the tools to maintain oursovereignty at every cost," he added. He said that his party along with all the democraticforces of Pakistan have condemned the outrageous remarks ofModi and asked him to allow the right of self-determination tothe people of Kashmir under UN aegis instead of dilly-dallyingand prolonging the issue. "Attempts to divert the attention from world’s onlynuclear flashpoint Kashmir won’t work," he said and calledupon the United Nations Security Council to "interveneimmediately" to halt Modi from dragging the region to war. Modi had made a mention of atrocities committed byPakistan in Balochistan in his Independence Day speech. "From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express mygratitude to some people — the people of Balochistan, Gilgitand Pak-occupied-Kashmir — for the way they whole-heartedlythanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the waythey conveyed their goodwill to me recently," Modi had said,kicking up a war of words between the two nations. PTI SH SUAAKJSUA