Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Monday claimed that Kashmir was never a part of India and never will be in the future.

“Kashmir was never a part of India and will never be,” he said, while addressing a conference on Kashmir in Islamabad, The Express Tribune reported. “People cannot be suppressed by force. Peace cannot be established while deploying ten Indian personnel on a single Kashmiri.”

Accusing India of “opening fire on peaceful demonstrators”, Chaudhry claimed that New Delhi “will never succeed in muzzling the organic freedom movement in Kashmir”. “The treatment meted out to Kashmiris only adds fuel to the fire,” the minister added. “Genocide in the Valley must come to an end.”

Chaudhry said India will have to give Kashmiris the same rights which are given to people of an independent country, Geo News reported. “Bloodshed intensifies an already burning fire, it does not douse the blaze,” the minister added.

The information minister said that Islamabad had often offered New Delhi dialogue, but the neighbouring country did not respond positively. “A little introspection on India’s part would make it clear that they’ve committed more mistakes than us,” he added.

‘India’s dream of isolating Pakistan will never come true’

Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said India’s dream of isolating Pakistan will never come true. Qureshi said Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Muhammad, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and the European Union’s High Representative will visit Pakistan soon, PTI reported.

Qureshi called India’s response after the Pulwama attack “predictable”, but said Islamabad was not in favour of any conflict with New Delhi. At least 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed when a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist drove a van loaded with explosives into their convoy on February 14.

India has withdrawn the Most Favoured Nation status it granted to Pakistan. It has increased duties on Pakistani imports by 200%, stopped a Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and cross-Line of Control trade. India has also vowed to isolate Pakistan globally.