At least 49 people have been killed in clashes in India-administered Kashmir following the death of popular young rebel commander Burhan Wani in a gunfight with security forces on July 8.
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Amid a war of words, Pakistan said any verdict on the future of Kashmir can only be given by the Kashmiri people, a day after New Delhi made it clear that the whole of Jammu and Kashmir belongs to India and will never become part of Pakistan.
Last week, the LeT chief had led a “Kashmir Caravan” from Lahore to Islamabad and vowed to march towards Jammu and Kashmir till the Kashmiris get “azadi”. It alleged that India was committing human rights violations in Kashmir which it claimed was a matter of great concern for the world community.
He said that India and its leaders and media knew fully that everyone in Kashmir was a staunch supporter of freedom and resistance and ongoing protest movements were aimed at raising voice for freedom only but India, its Kashmiri agents and biased media were in a continuous state of denial and were denying reality by shutting their eyes.
The founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, who carries a $10-million bounty on his head again demanded the Pakistan government immediately suspend “diplomatic and trade” ties with India.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, reacting to Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj’s statement on Kashmir, stated on Sunday that a verdict on the future of Kashmir can only be given by the people of Kashmir.
The Indian minister also accused Pakistan of backing militants with the help of UN-designated terrorists and notorious figures such as Hafiz Saeed, in order to turn the valley into a living hell.
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Calling for a “political solution”, it asked the governments of Pakistan and India to resolve the bilateral issues amicably, saying, “they must compromise in the larger national, regional and global interest”, it added. Indian troops are occupiers who have subjected the people to brutality and oppression.
