Suicide bombing in Kashmir: Pakistan appeals to UN to defuse escalating tensions with India
- Modi has warned Pakistan to expect a “strong response” to the bombing claimed by a Pakistan-linked militant group
- India must be asked to conduct an open investigation on Pulwama incident, Islamabad says
Pakistan’s foreign minister appealed to the UN Secretary General on Tuesday to help ease tension with India that has escalated sharply following a suicide bomb attack in the Indian part of disputed Kashmir, that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad.
“It is with a sense of urgency that I draw your attention to the deteriorating security situation in our region resulting from the threat of use of force against Pakistan by India,” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi wrote to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
“It is imperative to take steps for de-escalation. The United Nations must step in to defuse tensions,” he wrote, blaming India for deliberately ratcheting up its hostile rhetoric for domestic political reasons.
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The Pakistani appeal follows days of rising tension between the old rivals after a suicide bomber blew himself up near an Indian police convoy in Kashmir on Thursday, killing at least 40 paramilitary police.
Jaish-e Mohammad, a militant group said to be based in Pakistan claimed responsibility but the Pakistani government has denied any involvement.
“Attributing it to Pakistan even before investigations is absurd,” Qureshi said.
“India must be asked to conduct an open and credible investigation on Pulwama incident,” he said.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated in Kashmir, with nine people killed on Monday in a gun battle that broke out as Indian soldiers searched for militants.
Government forces surrounded a village in the southern Pulwama area on a tip that militants were hiding there, security officials said. As troops began conducting searches, they came under heavy gunfire, leading to a clash that killed four soldiers, three suspected militants, a police official and a civilian.
Three army officers, a senior police officer and three other soldiers were wounded in the operation.
The suicide attack has led to a spike in communal tensions in India.
Videos of anti-Kashmiri protests have gone viral on social media, including some in which Kashmiri students were beaten by mobs of Hindu nationalist groups and warned to leave colleges and universities.
On the outskirts of the northern city of Ambala, about 300 Kashmiri students were forced to leave their rented accommodation by local Hindu residents. One of the students said he and his fellow students felt unsafe despite police security.
In another northern city, Dehradun, at least 20 Kashmiri students were forced to lock themselves in their hostel rooms for safety until police arrived, The Times of India reported.
Vijay Kumar, a top government adviser, said they received several complaints from students and businesspeople, and authorities were “doing everything possible for the security” of Kashmiris. He said authorities have spoken with officials in various cities and also set up help centres for Kashmiris living outside the state.
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The Indian chapter of Amnesty International urged India’s federal and state governments to “ensure that ordinary Kashmiri women and men do not face targeted attacks, harassment and arbitrary arrests” following Thursday’s suicide bombing.
“We are at a dangerous moment, and authorities must do everything they can to uphold the rule of law,” said Aakar Patel, head of Amnesty International India. “Ordinary Kashmiris across India who are only seeking to improve their lives should not be singled out for violence simply because of where they come from.”
Additional reporting by AP
