Islamabad: Pakistan has rejected as "hypocritical" Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's charge that Islamabad is adopting "double standards" in dealing with terrorism and said his assertion that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India represented New Delhi's "colonial mind-set".

Such accusations were routinely levelled by the Indian leaders to "cover up" allegations of human rights violations, Pakistan's Foreign Office said in a statement late on August 15 night reacting to Vajpayee's Independence Day address.

Accusing India of fomenting terrorism across South Asia for past several decades, it described Vajpayee's reference to Pakistan's "double standards" as "hypocritical".

The statement said Vajpayee's assertion that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India was contrary to international legality as reflected in the relevant UN Security Council Resolution on Jammu and Kashmir, considered by India as outdated.

"Such statements reflected India's colonial mindset, its disregard for morality, and its intention to persist with its illegal control over Kashmir through brute force. This Indian attitude was the principal impediment in the way of a peaceful and just settlement of the Kashmir dispute," it said.

In his Independence Day speech, Vajpayee asserted that J and K was an integral part of India and would remain so. He said Pakistan was adopting double standards on the issue of terrorism as it claimed to be opposing it at the international level, but had altogether different view about it in the region.

The Pakistani statement termed the forthcoming J&K polls as "illegitimate" and said such elections had been "blatantly rigged" in the past.

It alleged that Kashmiri people rejected polls in the past, adding the credibility of elections came under question as they were held under heavy military presence.

The statement said despite "enormous Indian pressure", the Hurriyat Conference has refused to take part in "fraudulent" elections.

However, it welcomed Vajpayee's comments that India desired to have good neighbourly relations with Pakistan as well as his observation that New Delhi wanted to resolve all disputes through talks.

It said Pakistan had already made repeated offers to India for the resumption of a meaningful dialogue to resolve all outstanding disputes, including Kashmir.

PTI