India is playing with fire in Kashmir, says Pak president

Tariq Butt / Agencies

President Arif Alvi has said that India is playing with fire by revoking the special autonomy of Kashmir and the same fire will eventually “burn the secularity” of the Indian state.

In an interview with Canadian-American media outlet Vice News, the president said the Indian government was “living in a fool’s paradise” if it felt that it could improve the situation in Kashmir by revoking Articles 370 and 35-A of its constitution.

Asked whether Pakistan was disappointed that no statement had been issued after the first United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Kashmir in decades, Alvi said a lot of background discussions on the situation took place and that the “Kashmir issue has been internationalised after a long time.”

He said India has ignored numerous Security Council resolutions on Kashmir and refuses to sit down with Pakistan to settle the dispute.

“For how long that will continue?” he said of the impasse in bilateral talks, stressing that a long time had passed since Pakistan and India entered into the Shimla Agreement of 1972. He questioned whether the world could remain quiet and keep pushing two parties to hold talks when one of them refuses to negotiate.

“I think there is a hegemonistic intent to swallow Kashmir [but] it won’t happen.”

Alvi said Pakistan will continue to internationalise the issue and the people of Kashmir will make clear their intention once the curfew imposed by Indian authorities in the region is lifted.

Echoing Prime Minister Imran Khan’s warning, he said there was a possibility that India could stage a false-flag operation “like Pulwama” and then attack Pakistan. “But Pakistan doesn’t want to start a war,” he added.

India stripped Kashmiris of their seven-decade-long special autonomy through a rushed presidential order on Aug.5.

Meanwhile, police stopped hundreds of journalists from symbolically trying to cross the highly militarised border into Indian-controlled Kashmir.

The journalists’ leader, Zafeer Baba, said Saturday’s protest was an attempt to report on the situation in Kashmir. India has imposed a sweeping media clampdown there since Aug.5, when it downgraded the autonomy of the portion of Kashmir under its control. The region has since been under a harsh military curfew, with thousands detained and all communication and the internet cut. Authorities started easing restrictions last Saturday.

Pakistani police officer Arshad Naqvi said the journalists’ vehicles were stopped around seven kilometres from the Line of Control, which divides the Himalayan region.

Also during the day, Imran made a telephonic conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to inform her about India’s illegal, unilateral actions and gross violations of human rights in Kashmir and changing its demographic structure.

Imran informed the German Chancellor that Indian actions were in direct contravention of the United Nations Security Council resolutions, the international law and its own solemn commitments.

He highlighted the dire human rights situation in Kashmir, including complete lockdown, blackout on all forms of communication and severe shortage of food and medicines.

He stressed that intensified Indian repression could result in massive loss of lives of Kashmiris, which must be prevented at all costs.

The premier also underlined concerns about a possible “false-flag” operation that could be staged by India or some other ill-conceived step along the Line of Control to divert the world’s attention from human rights violations in Kashmir.

The PM emphasised that Indian actions have serious implications for peace and security in the region and the international community has the responsibility to act urgently.

Merkel said Germany was closely observing the situation. She called for effective measures to reduce tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours in a peaceful manner.

On the other hand, worldwide protests against Indian unilateral and illegal action to change demography of Kashmir and to express solidarity with the oppressed Kashmiri people are continuing. In Turkey, members of Turkish non-governmental organisations gathered in front of the Indian Embassy in Ankara to express solidarity with the people of Indian Kashmir.

They were holding placards inscribed with slogans “The People of Kashmir Want Freedom” and “Kashmiris should be given the right to choose their political future.”