Modi

Modi is the greatest obstacle in Pak-India dialogue: FM Qureshi

News Desk |

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, on Thursday, underscored that the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, remains the greatest obstacles in effective dialogue between Pakistan and India.

Speaking to a private news channel, Shah Mehmood Qureshi stated, “Modi put Kashmir on stake to come into power. In February, he encouraged escalation to win the election.”

Commenting on the decision of the United Nations Security Council to address the Kashmir dispute in an emergency session to be convened on Friday, Foreign Minister Qureshi mentioned, “The UNSC’s decision to address the Kashmir issue after fifty years, is a landmark diplomatic achievement for Pakistan. India is rattled by this decision, and is strongly opposing the UNSC meeting over the Kashmir dispute.”

International Support in UNSC

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi went onto say that Islamabad has conveyed its stance on Kashmir to the international community. He noted that the Russian leadership has also been apprised of Pakistan’s stance. He stressed that Islamabad is set on presenting a sincere and honest point of view at the UN Security Council.

It has been over ten days since a curfew has been imposed across the disputed Himalayan territory, and telecommunication services alongside internet continues to remain cut off.

He stated, “During my telephonic conversation with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, I presented a detailed overview of Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir dispute. Hopefully, Russia will support our stance in the United Nations Security Council.”

Foreign Minister Qureshi urged the international community and the leadership of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to play its mandated role. Qureshi commented, “Millions are waiting for the OIC to play its role. I also appeal to the human rights organizations to highlight the human rights abuses occurring across occupied Kashmir.”

Ethnic Cleansing of Kashmiri Muslims

The Foreign Minister highlighted that the Modi administration is setting the stage to carry out a genocide of Kashmiri Muslims in a bid to alter the demographic representation of the Kashmiri population.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi highlighted, “Pakistan has never encouraged war. However, if someone forces a war on us, then we will exercise our right to defend ourselves.” Qureshi stated that the entire Pakistani nation is standing behind the armed forces.

Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Imran Khan issued a stern warning to the international community, lamenting its silence on the Modi-led government’s agenda of the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Muslims. Khan warned that such an agenda would trigger an uncontrollable chain of events and reactions across the Muslim world.

Read more: Russia will not oppose UNSC meeting on Kashmir issue: Russian envoy

In a strongly-worded statement shared on Twitter, Imran Khan wrote, “In IOK, 12 days of curfew, presence of extra troops in an already heavily militarized occupied territory, sending in of RSS goons, complete communication blackout; with the example of Modi’s earlier ethnic cleansing of Muslims in Gujarat.”

The Prime Minister added, “Will world silently witness another Srebrenica-type massacre & ethnic cleansing of Muslims in IOK? I want to warn international community if it allows this to happen, it will have severe repercussions & reactions in the Muslim world setting off radicalization & cycles of violence.”

Global Backlash for New Delhi?

Michael Kugelman, Deputy Director of the Asia Program and South Asia senior associate at The Wilson Center, observed that Pakistan’s campaign to rally international support for the Kashmiri struggle for freedom is “now taking shape” but it will be “a hard sell”.

Kugelman observed, “But amid an ongoing lockdown and mounting critical news coverage, Delhi may soon face a global backlash that boosts Pakistan’s efforts.”

Jan Achakzai, notable political analyst, noted that Pakistan’s successful lobbying at the UN Security Council has paved the way for multiple diplomatic wins against India. The Baloch analyst noted, “The debate will create new pressure on India as UN coils into look back at its almost moribund stance. Russia after China is playing a positive role behind scene. The US also wants to calm things.”

Achakzai added, “India by its unilateral move made the issue internationalized; the likely reaction of Kashmiris will pin down Delhi as a gross human rights abuser of South Asia undermining its ambitions of rising regional soft power. Terrorism is a scourge India has to live with this century.”

Multiple analysts, opinion makers, human rights lawyers and international bodies have called attention to the prolonged security lockdown imposed on Indian-occupied Kashmir, underscoring the Modi administration’s ploy to stage a genocide. It has been over ten days since a curfew has been imposed across the disputed Himalayan territory, and telecommunication services alongside internet continues to remain cut off.


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