FO to announce Kashmir Cell composition today

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office kept on engaged with the dealing developments regarding Kashmir situation on week end holidays will announce composition of “Kashmir Cell” today (Monday) and it will work round the clock under special arrangements.

Well placed diplomatic sources told The News here on Sunday that a senior officer of the Foreign Office will head the Kashmir Cell, and it is likely that Director, Kashmir Affairs Shahras Asim or Director Saarc Affairs Dr Najamus Sehar Butt will be heading it.

The decision will be taken today. Dr Muhammad Faisal Chaudhry, who is Director General Saarc and South Asia Division with additional assignment of Spokesman of the Foreign Office will be providing intellectual guidance to the cell. The cell is being established in the Foreign Office; the sources added. The cell will maintain liaison with the relevant points pertaining the issue and it will also avail intellectual input by the Kashmir Committee of the Parliament under veteran parliamentarian Syed Fakhar Imam. The sources pointed out that Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood and senior officials concerned along with their staff were present in their respective offices and engaged in consultations since the India has annexed Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and split it towards the end of the first week of this month without any break.

The sources said that ever since Pakistan has stepped up its diplomatic pressures on India and extremist Indian leadership is under serious distress because Pakistan has succeeded in internationalising the issue yet another time, threat mongering has increased from New Delhi.

The irresponsible statements are aggravating the situation further, especially, in the backdrop of the enhancing miseries of the freedom loving people of IHK. The sources said that of all the ministers, Indian defence minister’s statement referring nuclear threat indicates that India has conceded that its armed forces cannot prevail in conventional war with Pakistan. Talking by the Indian leadership in terms of changing so-called nuclear doctrine must have demoralised Indian armed forces command since it was an expression of their skill and capabilities that was in habit of talking in offensive language.