Pakistan cannot take Kashmir issue to International Court of Justice, issue can only be resolved bilaterally: Sushma Swaraj

Sushma Swaraj said on Monday that Pakistan cannot take Kashmir to ICJ.

Pic Courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: Addressing a press conference on completion of three years of the Narendra Modi government, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Monday that Pakistan cannot take Kashmir to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and asserted that the issue must be resolved bilaterally.

India wants to settle all issues with Pakistan through dialogue, she said, but also made it amply clear that talks and terror cannot go together.

The EAM said there was no flip-flop on part of the government in handling Pakistan.

"Pakistan cannot take Kashmir issue to International Court of Justice. Kashmir issue can only be resolved bilaterally," she said, as per PTI.

She was replying to a question on reported remarks of Pakistani law officer that Islamabad will take the Kashmir issue to ICJ.

On possibility of PM Modi-Nawaz Sharif meeting at Astana SCO Summit, Swaraj said "nothing is fixed from both sides."

On the other hand, she said that India had been engaged in preserving environment for 5,000 years, dismissing US President Donald Trump's charges that it signed the Paris pact to get "billions and billions and billions" of dollars from developed nations.

"This is completely not true," Swaraj said about Trump's charges he made while announcing the US exit from the Paris deal last week.

She, however, said the American move on Paris climate agreement had not changed India-US ties.

"India signed the Paris agreement not because of any pressure on out of greed. We are committed to the environment and this commitment is 5,000 years old. We worship nature. It is in Indian ethos. I clearly dismiss both accusations," the EAM maintained.

On the proposed US cap on H-1B visas which could affect Indian professionals, the Minister said New Delhi was in talks with US Congress and Trump administration officials.

"Yes, the concern is there," she said, and added no changes have been made in the visa policy "as of now", as per IANS.

"There are amendments that cannot be made through executive orders," she asserted and denied that the proposed changes in the policy had affected India's relationship with the US.

The Minister said the ties between India and the US since Trump took charge were growing with the "same speed" as was the case when Barack Obama was the President.

"There has been no change (in the ties). We are moving forward as we were moving. We want to resolve all issues with Pakistan bilaterally but talks and terror cannot go together," the EAM said.