Continued hostilities

The illogical pattern of provocative cross-border firing from the Indian side of the working boundary and LOC which began in 2017 is continuing. The Pakistan Foreign Office has summoned the Indian deputy high commissioner to Pakistan to discuss the latest round of such firing, which caused the death of at least two civilians on July 22 and 23. The firing took place across various sectors of the LOC and amongst the victims was a 12-year-old child. Many others were injured in the firing and of course fear is rampant in villages close to the LOC or the Working Boundary with India.

These incidents indicate that New Delhi is determined to continue with its policy of open aggression directed against Pakistan. Indeed, members of the Indian cabinet have already suggested they see Pakistan as an enemy. In contrast, the Pakistani prime minister has suggested that both countries should consider giving up their nuclear arsenal as a path to building greater security in the region. The presence of nuclear weapons in the hands of both New Delhi and Islamabad is obviously a terrible shadow hanging over the Subcontinent. In this sense, PM Imran’s suggestion is one that should not be abandoned without thought and consideration.

The current tensions, however, mean the hopes of finding a settlement to the issue of Kashmir is fading further and further away. This is terrible news for the Kashmiri people who have withstood continued suffering since the mid-1990s when the uprising in the area against Indian occupation began in Indian-held Kashmir. The killing of Burhan Wani almost two years ago has led to an intensification of this unrest. For the sake of the people of Kashmir and the stability of the region as a whole, it is essential that moves be made to find some kind of settlement. This is possible only through dialogue, and India it appears is determined to create a situation which makes the resumption of bilateral dialogue almost impossible. The Modi government is clearly not interested in peace and is willing to allow millions of people in need of security and development to suffer as a result. Pakistan has also urged India to allow the UN Military Observer Mission to inspect the situation and reach its own conclusions. This too India has been reluctant to do. There has simply been a trade of accusations and counter accusations. This will lead nowhere. An end to the hostile environment on the working boundary is essential. While it continues there is always a fear that an unplanned event could trigger another skirmish between the two nations and lead to even more peril for people on both sides of the border.