Days after calling the abrogation of Article 370 “India’s internal affair”, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi retracted his remark, saying Kashmir is an “internationally recognized dispute.”

Last week, he called the revocation of Article 370 (of the Indian Constitution) an internal issue of India and added it was of “no importance” to Pakistan. Soon after the remark, opposition leaders called out the government, accusing it of compromising on the issue of Kashmir. 

Sherry Rahman, a senator from the opposition PPP, asked, “How is the FM calling Article 370 of the Indian Constitution an internal matter of India? She added how could anything related to Kashmir be an “internal matter of India” when the territory is disputed under the UN resolution. 

After facing heat over his remark, Qureshi took to Twitter and clarified, “Let me be clear: Jammu & Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute on the @UN Security Council agenda. Final settlement of the dispute lies in #UNSC resolution calling for a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.”

The earlier remark by Qureshi raised eyebrows as it came in the backdrop of the  much speculated backchannel talks between the two countries.

Many reports suggested that the backchannel talks between senior intelligence level officials of two nuclear-armed neighbors had resulted in the joint statement which called for maintaining a ceasefire along the LOC.