Islamabad: Pakistan today asked the world community to play its role in resolving the dragging Kashmir dispute as India's insistence on settling the issue through bilateral talks has not produced results.
India has always insisted on solving this issue through bilateral talks, but so far these efforts have failed to produce any result, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz claimed.
“If we accept the Indian claim at the UN and other international forums that the Kashmir problem is no more an issue, then why are there thousands of soldiers deployed along the LoC?” he said while making a statement on foreign policy in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament.
“India says Kashmir can be solved bilaterally even after 23 resolutions passed by the UN. But the question is whether the lingering issue can be solved keeping in view the outcome of talks over the last 14 years since 1999.”
Aziz added: “Is it not the responsibility of the international community to help solve this issue due to which even a small incident can cause violence between the two nuclear armed countries?”
Questioning whether the world community thinks Kashmir is “no more an issue”, he said: “If this is the result of continuous efforts by Pakistan to have bilateral negotiations, then how this issue can be solved and how peace can be restored in the region?”
Pakistan has tried to diffuse tensions along the Line of Control but India has not reciprocated, Aziz contended. He regretted the tensions.
Bilateral relations soured after five Indian soldiers were killed in an attack by Pakistani troops along the LoC earlier this month. Both sides have accused each other of violating the 2003 ceasefire on the LoC.
Talking about the ceasefire violations, Aziz claimed Indian Defence Minister A K Antony had changed his stance on the August 6 killing of Indian soldiers due to pressure from the opposition.
Aziz remarked that Antony first said 20 terrorists in Pakistan Army uniform crossed the LoC and killed the Indian soldiers. Then he said the attackers were Pakistani soldiers, Aziz added.
“So, he (Antony) gave orders to Indian forces to respond effectively. After that, during the last 24 days, Indian forces regularly violated the ceasefire on the LoC due to which three soldiers, including a captain, and two civilians were killed,” he said.
Since January, a total of 11 people had been killed and 31 injured on the LoC, he said.
Aziz said, “A careful analysis shows there is clear contradiction and a lack of coordination in the Indian attitude in the current situation.”
He mentioned the bilateral dialogue process of 1999 and 2004 and said they were hampered due to a military takeover in Pakistan in 1999 and the Mumbai attacks of 2008.
“But we have again started back channel diplomacy for composite dialogue. Both the premiers also contacted each other twice on phone,” he said.
He added the tensions on the LoC affected this process as India had been “changing its stance” and did not accept Pakistan's offers for a joint investigation or a probe by the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan.
Pakistan also offered to strengthen contacts between the Directors General of Military Operations and to abide by the ceasefire accord of 2003, he said.
