The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday criticised Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for raising the Kashmir dispute in his speech at the foundation-laying ceremony for the Karatarpur corridor.

“The only issue between us is Kashmir, all it needs is just two capable leaderships to resolve this issue,” Khan said. “Just imagine the potential we have if our relationships get strong.”

In a statement, the ministry said it was deeply regrettable that Khan chose to politicise a “pious occasion... by making unwarranted reference to Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral and inalienable part of India”.

The ministry reiterated that “Pakistan “fulfil its international obligations and take effective and credible action” to stop “cross-border terrorism from territories under its control”.

Earlier in the afternoon, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj pulled India out of the proposed South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit in Islamabad, citing cross-border terrorism as one of the reasons. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has accused Pakistan-backed groups of carrying out a grenade attack in Amritsar last week.