Indian prime minister’s not-so-veiled threat on Balochistan only proves New Delhi’s already known involvement in stoking terrorism in the southwestern province, Pakistan emphasized on Monday amid escalating war of words between the two South Asian neighbors.
Balochistan is an integral part of Pakistan and Modi’s comments only prove Pakistan’s contention that India, through the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been fomenting terrorism in Balochistan, Advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz, a close aide of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said.
“This was also confirmed by the public confession of RAW’s serving naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav in March this year,” added Aziz, while reacting to Indian nationalist prime minister Narendra Modi’s claim in an Independence Day speech that the people of Balochistan have expressed gratitude to him.
Aziz noted in the statement that Modi was just trying to divert international focus to Indian state violence against civilians in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir territory held by India. Modi did not mention the Kashmir protests.
“Mr. Modi was only trying to divert world attention from the grim tragedy that has been unfolding in Indian-occupied Kashmir over the past five weeks,” said Aziz, referring to Modi’s comments.
The latest unrest in Kashmir erupted when Indian forces’ killing of Burhan Wani – seen a freedom fighter by the people of Kashmir and a separatist militant by New Delhi – led to widespread protests.
Indian security forces resorted to the use of pellet firing at civilian protesters, a tactic which has blinded scores of young people and drawn condemnation and concern from several international organizations and world capitals.
“More than 70 innocent Kashmiris have been killed and more than 6,000 injured. There is consistent curfew and a complete media blackout,” Aziz said of the situation in the Indian-occupied territory.
Aziz remarked that the Kashmiri struggle is an indigenous movement for self determination which was “promised to the Kashmiris by the UN Security Council”.
“At this time, the contrast between India-occupied Kashmir and Azad Kashmir (Pakistan-administered part) could not be starker.”
Washington and other world capitals have asked Islamabad and New Delhi to hold peace talks to resolve their differences over Kashmir dispute, which has in the past been cause of several wars and conflicts between the South Asian countries.
Meanwhile, commenting on Modi’s mention of Balochsitan in Indian Independence Day speech, Indian Opposition party, Congress, has accused Modi of hurting India’s claim on Kashmir, controlled by Pakistan.
Indian media reports quoted Congress leader and former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid as saying that Modi’s remark would give an “additional handle” to Pakistan to target India as “we don’t speak about atrocities in neighbouing countries.”
