India has summoned Pakistan's envoy to the country, protesting against Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's recent call to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, head of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference political alliance. Delhi warned Islamabad of possible consequences if it maintains contacts with Kashmiri politicians, who stand for the region's independence from India.
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In addition, the Foreign Ministry's Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar has refused to elaborate, what these consequences will look like.
"Pakistan is always resorting to such tactics which hampers the peace process between the two countries", Indian lawmaker K. C. Tyagi told Sputnik.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale has accused Pakistan of attempting to undermine Indian integrity and interfering in the country's internal matters.
"[The envoy] was cautioned that persistence of such behaviour by Pakistan will have implications", the statement by the Indian Foreign Ministry said.
Pakistan has responded to India's claims by stating that Islamabad has always maintained contact with top Kashmiri politicians and that there was nothing new about the foreign minister's call to Umar Farooq.
Farooq is a Kashmiri religious leader and head of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference political alliance that includes 26 political, social and religious organisations, championing the independence of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India.
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Both India and Pakistan, along with China, have been claiming sovereignty over Kashmir since 1947. The state is currently divided between the three sides, with the so-called line of control serving as a de-facto border between the Indian and the Pakistani-controlled parts of the region.
Delhi has repeatedly accused Pakistan of supporting insurgents demanding the region's secession from India, but Islamabad vehemently denies all the allegations.
