Pakistan says Balochistan is its own affair

"Our advice to the Indian officials would be to mind their own business," said Pakistan's foreign ministry.

India said last week it was worried about "spiralling violence" in gas-rich Balochistan, where Pakistani forces are battling armed tribal militants.

The BBC's Zaffar Abbas in Islamabad says many believe the tensions could harm peace moves between the rivals.

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He says the Pakistani government seems seriously annoyed by India's remarks.

India's foreign ministry says there is nothing unusual about its comments, and that its spokesman simply responded to a question from a journalist on Balochistan.

'Bully'

Pakistan foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said it was shocking that India believed there was nothing extraordinary in its issuing a statement on a purely internal Pakistani matter.

Indo-Pakistani relations have been positive for the last two years

She accused India of behaving like a bully.

Such Indian criticism could weaken attempts by the two countries to resolve bilateral issues, including the long-standing dispute over Kashmir, she added.

The two countries have fought two of their three wars since independence over the divided Himalayan territory.

Pakistani security forces, backed by army helicopters, have stepped up military operations against various groups of armed Baloch militants in recent weeks.