Islamabad: Describing the outgoing United States Ambassador to India Robert Blackwill as a spokesman of India, Pakistan on April 28 said it was not ready to receive any delegation of Indian MPs if it included former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, accusing him of committing "maximum atrocities" against Kashmiris.

Launching a broadside against Blackwill, Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan told a media briefing that Kashmiris in India would be delighted to see the back of Blackwill, as he had acted "like a spokesman of Indian External Affairs Ministry".

Khan, who declined to comment on Blackwill's departure last week, minced no words in castigating him for his "pro-India" stand.

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"I am sure Kashmiris must be delighted with the news" because during his entire tenure all he has done was to hum India's line and did not say anything about the sufferings of the people, Khan said.

"At times it appeared as the spokesman of Ministry of External Affairs of India rather than the US State Department. I am sure Kashmiris would welcome it (Blackwill's departure)," he added.

The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman also surprised the media by launching an equally vitriolic attack on Abdullah.

Referring to reports that Abdullah met Vajpayee to lead a delegation of Indian MPs to Pakistan, he said "…It was during the tenure of Farooq Abdullah that maximum atrocities were committed against the Kashmiri people.

"He has blood of Kashmiri people on his hands and he should first apologise to Kashmiri people and apologise to the Hurriyat Conference (HC)," Khan said.

Striking a hardline posture, he said Abdullah or any other delegation was welcome to Pakistan if it included the Hurriyat leaders.

"If they forgive him perhaps a delegation led by the HC leaders in which others can be included would be welcomed to Pakistan. But first of all he should go and seek forgiveness of Kashmiri people and HC on whom he has committed tremendous atrocities," Khan said.

PTI