NEW DELHI, Dec 4: If there is a war over Kashmir, as Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif is reported to have said could be the case given that the
region is a perennial flashpoint, then Pakistan is not going to win it, Indian
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cautioned on Wednesday.
“There is no scope of
Pakistan winning any such war in my lifetime,” Dr Singh said after he was told
that Prime Minister Sharif hinted at such a likelihood in case the Kashmir
dispute was not resolved.
The controversy between
the two nuclear armed neighbours was rooted in a comment apparently made by
Prime Minister Sharif, but also sought to be denied by him, during a tour of
Azad Kashmir on Wednesday.
“Kashmir is a flashpoint
and can trigger a fourth war between the two nuclear powers at any time,” Mr
Sharif said in an address in Muzaffarabad on Tuesday.
Mr Sharif’s office
denied the comment hours later, describing the newspaper report as “incorrect
and based on mala fide intentions”.
However, in a statement
that’s certain to be seen with suspicion in India, Mr Sharif’s office added
that he had “a dream of seeing held-Kashmir free from the Indian occupation and
desired that this dream could turn into reality during his lifetime”.
His statement comes as
both countries have been trying to rebuild relations.
In recent months,
violations of the ceasefire along the de facto border or Line of Control in
Kashmir have been at their worst. In September, Mr Sharif met Dr Singh at the
UN General Assembly in New York and both leaders said they would ensure their
military commanders worked on restoring the ceasefire.
Mr Sharif’s comment has
come with the rise of rightwing nationalism to India’s centre-stage, which has
led to the revival of an acrimonious debate on the politically sensitive
Article 370 of the Indian constitution that grants Jammu and Kashmir a special
status.
The Bharatiya Janata
Party, which hopes to form the next government, is opposed to any special
status to Kashmir and instead advocates its complete merger with India.
2 comments:
Our relationship with India should be based on mutual respect. India should avoid power tactics for arms twisting of Pakistan. Unfortunatly all our current leaders including COAS, CJP, PM, apposition parties do not have Conviction and courage to give shut up call to India. We badly miss leader Like Bhutto.
Thanks a lot for sharing very informative post about Kashmir. Peoples see the real face of India after reading this blog.
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