Islamabad: Acting Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party Mehmood Ahmed Saghar has appreciated the government of Pakistan for its relentless efforts to counter India's aggression and its nefarious designs aimed at portraying Pakistan in negative light and maligning Kashmiris' ongoing liberation struggle.
In a statement issued on Monday, Mehmood Ahmed Saghar said that it was quite unfortunate that India, on the one hand, was using Phalgam tragedy as an instrument to build a war narrative against Pakistan, while on the other the state repression against Kashmiris has intensified as raids on Kashmiri homes, arbitrary detentions and house demolitions by the Indian occupation authorities continue unabated.
He, however, hailed the government of Pakistan and other state apparatus for maintaining maximum restraint and adopting a more pragmatic approach to defeat the India's deliberate destabilization efforts, which he said were being widely seen as irresponsible, unreasonable and unjustified.
Denouncing the India's unilateral actions including suspension of Indus water treaty, expulsion of Pakistani nationals from the country Saghar said that these unilateral actions speak volumes about the Indian government's jingoistic and fascist mindset that pose a serious threat to regional peace.
Urging the international community to urgently address the escalating tensions in the region, Saghar said that it was high time that the global community acts responsibly, deescalates tensions, and support sincere efforts toward a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir conflict.
"The current standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbours could escalate into a wider regional conflict if not addressed immediately", Saghar said.
Describing the unresolved Kashmir as the mother of all disputes, the DFP leader warned that the lingering dispute could trigger a dangerous escalation, potentially leading to a nuclear confrontation if left unaddressed.
He made it clear that bloodshed and violence will continue to plague the region unless the core issue of Kashmir is addressed in its historical perspective.
"The tragic incidents like the Pahalgam attack will continue to recur unless the Kashmir dispute is resolved peacefully in line with UN Security Council resolutions", he said.
Mehmood Ahmed Saghar reiterated that India and Pakistan may have several bilateral disagreements, but the Kashmir dispute has held both nations hostage for decades.
Urging Indian government to avoid beating war drums, Sahar said that the Indian leadership must recognize that its futile attempts to put blame on Pakistan and tighten its control over Kashmir through heavy militarization and constitutional changes cannot change the ground reality.
Reiterating his party's principled stance on the issue, Saghar said, "Acknowledging the ground realities and respecting the Kashmiri people's legitimate political struggle and their right to self-determination is the only viable path to lasting peace in a region plagued by decades of repression and violence".
"It is also high time for influential world governments to step in and play a constructive role in this regard", the DFP leader said.
He appealed to the international community to engage meaningfully to help India and Pakistan resolve this long-standing dispute that has been the main cause and consequence of unrest and human rights violations in the region.