The Bharatiya Janata Party has sought an explanation from the government of India on whether it planned to take up the issue of Pakistan Information Minister Sheikh Rashid with the Pakistan government.

"Keeping in mind the statement made by the Jammu and Kashmir [Images] Liberation Front chairman Yaseen Malik that Rashid had been running militant training camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the government of India must take up the issue with the Pakistan government," Prakash Javadekar, BJP spokesperson, said. 

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Javadekar said this was a important matter and the government owes an explanation to the country.

"When the joint declaration signed by India and Pakistan in January 2004 says peace negotiations cannot go on while crossborder terrorism continues, how can Rashid continue in office if the allegations made by Malik are true," he asked.

• Pak minister ran terror camp: Yaseen Malik

Rashid has denied the linkage and claimed that Malik may have met some other person during his trips to training camps in PoK. Malik is currently in Pakistan on invitation of the Pakistan government.

He travelled by the newly opened route between Srinagar [Images] and Muzaffarabad on June 2.

External Affairs Ministry's spokesperson Navtej Sarna had described the issue as a serious one on Tuesday, but did not say whether the India planned to take up the matter with the Pakistan government.

Meanwhile, the Hurriyat delegation led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq is likely to return to Srinagar a day ahead of schedule on June 16 instead of June 17 as planned earlier.