WASHINGTON: PM’s special envoy on Jammu and Kashmir Senator Syed Mushahid Hussain has said that tension between Pakistan and India can impact the on-going war on terrorism and urged the United States to help resolve the lingering Kashmir dispute which can threaten the world peace.
Talking to APP, Senator Mushahid said that any talk of peace in South Asian region has to be comprehensive and must include all aspects that are causing instability in the volatile region. “If you talk of peace in the region, it has to be comprehensive. Talk of peace cannot be compartmentalised, it cannot be segregated. Kashmir is the root cause of tension between the two nuclear-armed states”.
Senator Mushahid and Member of National Assembly Dr Shazra Mansab are visiting the United States as PM’s special envoys to highlight the plight of Kashmiri people who are facing the worst kind of suppression and brutalities at the hands of Indian forces.
Senator Mushahid warned that tension between Pakistan and India could adversely impact the ongoing war on terrorism being fought in Afghanistan. “Pakistan has deployed 200,000 troops on the Western border with Afghanistan to fight terrorists. If tension with India increased, Pakistan will have to shift troops to its Eastern border”.
He said more than 60,000 civilians and security personnel have been killed in the fight against terrorism and Pakistan knows what sacrifice means. Senator Mushahid said that it was the moral responsibility of the United States, which is also signatory to the UN resolutions on Kashmir, to help resolve the issue. “This is an issue between the two nuclear-armed countries,” which could have implications for the world peace.
Senator Mushahid stated that they were not visiting the United States as government’s representatives but as representatives of the entire nation which has added more weightage to the arguments they made during their meetings with the US officials, American media and the leading think-tanks.
Senator Mushahid stated that their visit to the United States was aimed at highlighting the gross human rights violations and the indigenous uprising in the Indian-held Kashmir and to inform the administration that Kashmir was not a territorial issue, but it was about the people and their just rights.
The senator stated that the visit also highlighted Indian efforts to distract the world attention from the Kashmir issue by creating false claims and talking about Indus Water Treaty. He said that the US media tore apart Indian claim of carrying out “surgical strikes” inside Pakistan which never happened.
Senator Mushahid said the meeting with US officials also contributed to highlight the fact that India could not take a unilateral decision on the Indus Water Treaty, which is an international accord. He said meetings with the Obama administration helped to counter Indian efforts and the United States has refused to support Indian stand on the Indus Water Treaty.
He said that in their capacity as PM’s Special Envoys, he and Dr. Shazra held more than a dozen meetings with the US government officials, leading think-tanks and American media to present a case on Kashmir. Senator Mushahid expressed the hope that these meetings will change the narrative on Kashmir and would lead to more pressure on India to resolve the Kashmir dispute.
Senator Mushahid stated that the world community now understands that Kashmiri people have to be included in any talks between Pakistan and India to resolve this issue which is a nuclear flashpoint.
He said that India was not willing to resolve the Kashmir issue as it has not only rejected any bilateral talks with Pakistan, but has also sabotaged the forum of SAARC which could play a role in regional peace.
India has also rejected the UN proposal to allow a fact-finding mission on Kashmir, Senator Mushahid said, adding that in the face of Indian’s stubbornness, it was the responsibility of the international community to help resolve this issue.
Dr. Shazra, speaking on the gross human rights violations in the Indian held Kashmir said that Indian troops were using pellet guns on people, whose use has been banned by the international community even on animals.