News Desk |
On Sunday, Prime Minister Imran Khan responded to Indian Prime Minister Modi’s comments, asserting that he will “stand by his words that if India gives us actionable intelligence, we will act immediately.” On Saturday, while addressing a rally Modi had urged Khan to “stand by his words as a Pathan” and join hands with India in fighting poverty across the region instead of attacking each other.
As per the statement released by Prime Minister Imran Khan’s office, PM Khan urges Prime Minister Modi to “give peace a chance”. The statement shed light on New Delhi’s decision to cancel the meeting between Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi scheduled after the UN General Assembly session back in 2018.
“In my meeting with PM Modi in December 2015, we had agreed that since poverty alleviation is a priority for our region, we would not allow any terrorist incident to derail peace efforts, however long before Pulwama, these efforts were derailed in September 2018, ” read PM office statement.
The Pakistan Foreign Office urged the international community to “take cognizance of the situation and counsel Indian to refrain from further escalation, defuse current tensions and resolve issues through dialogue and engagement”.
In reference to the ongoing efforts to undermine the Kashmiri struggle for freedom in the wake of the Pulwama Attack, PM Imran Khan deduced, “Sadly, now peace remains elusive due to elections in India.”
Pakistan Condemns Indian Decision to Turn Kashmiris into a Minority
On Sunday, Foreign Office spokesperson Dr. Muhammad Faisal gave a statement to condemn Indian efforts to alter the demography of Indian-occupied J&K with calls for setting aside the Article 35A, which provides special privileges and rights to the permanent citizens of the valley. The statement condemns all measurements to bring about demographic changes in the valley and regarded it as a gross violation of International laws and regulations pertaining to disputed territories.
The statement noted, “We understand that the Supreme Court of India is due to deliberate, shortly, on petitions calling for the scrapping of Article 35A of Indian Constitution. Pakistan condemns any such attempts as these are clearly aimed at bringing about demographic changes in Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Any move in this direction would be a blatant violation of international law and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, which prohibit introducing material changes to the disputed territory.”
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The statement further took notice of the barbaric attacks staged against the Kashmiris throughout the valley and multiple Indian states in the wake of the Pulwama attack, and later the Modi-led government exhibited further aggression by exercising “enhanced use of force, large-scale arrests and incarceration of senior Kashmiri leaders”.
It warned against Indian tactics of intimidating and marginalizing the Kashmiri citizens, “The large-scale deployment of additional paramilitary forces and orders by the local hospitals and about the sale of fuel and food grains, are contributing to an atmosphere of extreme intimidation and fear. Immediate steps are required to reverse this frenzy and restore calm. ”
The Pakistan Foreign Office urged the international community to “take cognizance of the situation and counsel Indian to refrain from further escalation, defuse current tensions and resolve issues through dialogue and engagement”.
Addressing a rally in Kolhapur district of Indian state of Maharashtra, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Chief Raj Thackeray called for an investigation on National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to find out the “truth of the Pulwama terror attack”.
Since Sunday, a complete shutdown was observed in the valley as the Joint Resistance Leadership of Syed Ai Gillani, Muhammad Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called for a strike against India’s marginalizing tactics of widespread killings, arrests and calls to scrape off the Article 35-A. Earlier on Saturday, the Indian security forces had conducted mass arrests and nocturnal raids, resulting in the arrests of more than 200 separatists and their leaders, including JFKL chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik.
Indian Aggression in Kashmir Reveals BJP’s “War Frenzy”
Later on Sunday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi addressed a press conference to condemn the acts of violence against Kashmiris across the valleys and the arrests of Hurriyat leaders and the measures of “forcefully pushing out Hurriyat leaders from the valley”. FM Qureshi noted that even leaders who were earlier supportive of New Delhi are condemning its repressive measures, he quoted former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, “You can encage people but you cannot encage ideologies and thoughts”.
Read more: Post-Pulwama: Kashmiri spirit and Indian instability, both on rise
“Mirwaiz Omar Farooq has also clearly stated that increased force and barbaric assaults will not undermine the Kashmiri struggle. The new generation of Kashmir has welcomed a new Hurriyat ideology which refuses to be repressed. For the sake of its political ambitions, the BJP government has created a frenzy which needs to be stopped immediately. And I hope that Indian intellectuals and thinkers will warn their government and advise them to exercise restraint and urge them to stop sabotaging regional peace and stability”, asserted FM Qureshi.
FM Qureshi condemned the attacks on Kashmiri journalists, lawyers and shop owners working throughout India. “This is insanity and it must be ended immediately. He also strongly condemned the attack on Pakistani prisoner Shakir-Ullah in Jaipur Jail and lamented that he was beaten to death as police officials silently observed his ordeal.
“Pakistan is a peaceful country, and Pakistan is dedicated towards peace, but I want to send a clear message in response to Indian war frenzy if you think you can pressurize us or terrify us, eliminate this thought from your minds. This nation is unified like a fish-from its military and political leadership to every single citizen-Pakistan is unified in its support to the Kashmiri struggle for independence”, warned Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
In an interview with Ashlin Mathew of National Herald India, AS Dulat, former Chief of RAW and former Special Advisor on Kashmir under Former PM Vajpayee, warned Modi that “war is not a picnic” and advised him to “weigh his options carefully”.
Addressing a rally in Kolhapur district of Indian state of Maharashtra, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Chief Raj Thackeray called for an investigation on National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to find out the “truth of the Pulwama terror attack”. Thackeray labelled the deaths of the CRPF Jawans who lost their lives in the Pulwama attack as “political victims” and noted while every Indian government launched such tactics, “it is occurring more under Modi’s rule”.
News18 quoted Thackeray, “If NSA Ajit Doval is investigated, the entire truth of the Pulwama attack will be revealed. When the Pulwama attack occurred, Prime Minister Modi was busy shooting for a film in the Corbett National Park, and the shooting continued despite the news reports of the attack circulating on media”. The MNS Chief made an allegation that was also asserted by the Congress leadership.
Read more: Kashmiris all over India fear for their lives after Pulwama attack
In an interview with Ashlin Mathew of National Herald India, AS Dulat, former Chief of RAW and former Special Advisor on Kashmir under Former PM Vajpayee, warned Modi that “war is not a picnic” and advised him to “weigh his options carefully”. AS Dulat stressed that there is simply no alternative to “talks” with the Kashmir separatist leadership.
Mathew quoted Dulat’s response to the mass attacks on Kashmiri students and citizens across India, “What is the point of attacking Kashmiri students? How will that solve the Pulwama issue? They will only add to our problems in Kashmir. What is growing hugely in Kashmir is the feeling of alienation. In Kashmir, the gun is not the solution.”
Read more: Kashmiri Muslims under attack as violence grips India
Earlier today, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned Indian aggression and unlawful arrests in a strongly worded tweet. He wrote, “Undemocratic and illegal arrest spree of religious scholars, resistance leaders, and Hurriyat activists continues unabated across the valley. Use of force only furthers hardening of stand and revolt. Engagement is the only way out.”
Mina Jahangir with additional input by News Desk.