New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday decided to wade into the Kashmir issue once again by raising the pitch on India-Pakistan hostilities through the bogey of “self-determination” for Kashmir, adding that “the long night of suffering” of the people of Kashmir must end and “the only road to peace and security in South Asia runs through a peaceful and just settlement of Kashmir”. The Pakistani PM also claimed that the hostilities at the Line of Control “has the potential to blow up into a regional crisis”.
India has always maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is its integral part and that any discussions on the Kashmir issue can be held only with Pakistan bilaterally, but only if Islamabad ends cross-border terrorism first. The Indian Army has already dismissed the Pakistani charges of initiating the latest round of LoC hostilities, saying the Pakistan Army regularly attempts to push in infiltrating terrorists and engages in firing to assist these terrorists. Indian Army sources also said India has the right to respond to Pakistani military actions on the LoC but the Indian Army only retaliates against the Pakistani military targets and infiltrating terrorists, and not against civilians. Indian Army sources also dismissed Pakistani charges on use of cluster bombs as false and baseless.
In a series of tweets on Sunday, the Pakistan PM alleged: “I condemn India’s attack across LoC on innocent civilians and its use of cluster munitions in violation of international humanitarian law and its own commitments under the 1983 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. The UN Security Council must take note of this international threat to peace and security. It is time to end the long night of suffering for the people of Occupied Kashmir. They must be allowed to exercise their right to self determination according to UNSC resolutions.”
The Pakistan PM added: “The only road to peace and security in South Asia runs through a peaceful and just settlement of Kashmir. President Trump offered to mediate on Kashmir. This is the time to do so as the situation deteriorates there and along the LoC with new aggressive actions being taken by Indian ... forces. This has the potential to blow up into a regional crisis.”
