“On Monday, in his speech, the Prime Minister spoke about human rights violations in Balochistan and Gilgit”.
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Thanking Modi for his statement on Balochistan, Brahumdagh Bugti, president of the Baloch Republican Party in a video statement, hoped that the Indian government, Indian media and the whole Indian nation would not only raise their voices for the Baloch nation but also strive to help practically the Baloch independence movement. The Congress party has distanced itself from this remark and termed the comments of Salman Khurshid as his personal view.
“But in Balochistan, the people want to live within the legal framework of the country”, he said.
“The stand adopted by the Modi government in dealing with Kashmir will be disastrous for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and for the Indian Union”, the editorial said.
Locals and officials say government forces stopped hundreds of villagers from chanting slogans against Indian rule in Aripanthan village and clashes erupted as troops fired tear gas and shotgun pellets to quell the protests.
“It makes no distinction between the mass of the people and the Pakistan supported militants”.
“The Modi government has thus signalled that it will treat the popular unrest in Kashmir as a law and order problem”, the editorial said. We have been saying that Kashmir is an integral part of India.
The joint statement issued by the two nations mentioned Balochistan, which was criticised by the BJP which was then in opposition at the Centre.
Similar the human rights violations are also being committed by the Pakistani forces in PoK.
“All such issues need to be raised and need to be sorted out”.
He asked whether the government would take it up now either in bilateral dialogue or at another worldwide forum.
India vehemently denies the claims, but in the past has been extremely careful not to publicly mention the Baluchistan issue or express any support for any of the political movements there that are fighting the Pakistani state.
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Surjewala said the Prime Minister should immediately take stock of the alarming situation in Kashmir and provide the much required healing touch.
