Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has ruled out the possibility of talks with India over Kashmir until the curfew imposed on the disputed region is lifted. RNA - The Himalayan region has been in a crippling lockdown since New Delhi announced it was removing the region’s special status, which granted it autonomy, on August 5. Since then, India has flooded the region with military forces, drawing widespread criticism. A recent government data showed that authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmir had detained about 4,000 people in the crackdown over the past weeks.
Speaking at a ceremony at Pakistan’s Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan on Wednesday, Khan said there was “no chance of talks” with India about the crackdown until it lifted the curfew.
Kashmir is generally considered a disputed territory. It has been split between India and Pakistan since their partition in 1947. The countries have fought three wars over the territory.
The premier made the remarks after Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry condemned New Delhi’s “jingoistic rhetoric” when his Indian counterpart pledged to retake the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir.
“We strongly condemn and reject the inflammatory and irresponsible remarks made by the Indian external affairs minister,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Such irresponsible and belligerent statements have the potential to further escalate tensions and seriously jeopardize peace and security in the region,” the ministry warned.
On Tuesday, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told a news conference that Pakistani-administered Kashmir is “part of India and we expect one day that we will have the... physical jurisdiction over it.”
Earlier this month, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi demanded that the United Nations (UN) launch a probe into the situation in Indian-controlled Kashmir, claiming that “genocide” could be looming against the Muslim-majority region.
Khan also censured India’s crackdown on Kashmir, warning the New Delhi government of a Muslim uprising in support of the people of the Muslim-majority region. He also vowed to raise the issue in the United Nations General Assembly later this month.
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