A day after India rejected the mediation offer of China on Kashmir, moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said India should honor its commitments to people of Kashmir, and give peace in subcontinent a real chance.
“International community accepts Kashmir dispute where an entire population is being subject to extreme oppression for demanding the resolution of that dispute and an end to their suffering,” Mirwaiz said.
While referring towards Chinese offer, Mirwaiz said when there is international pressure and outrage over the “suppression” and a third country offers mediation to resolve the “dispute” India quickly rejects it saying they will resolve it bilaterally with Pakistan.
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“And when Pakistan asks India to engage in dialogue with it and people of Kashmir to address the dispute , Government of India refuses the offer of engagement saying Kashmir is an internal problem and links the people's struggle to so called Islamic terrorism”, Mirwaiz said.
“We have repeatedly been asking Government of India to honor its commitments made to the people of Kashmir, put an end to repression and start serious steps towards the resolution of the Kashmir dispute and give peace in subcontinent a real chance,” Mirwaiz told Outlook.
In response to Chinese offer, India on Thursday said there was no change in India's understanding that issues with Pakistan were to be resolved bilaterally.
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Earlier Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson had said that Beijing was willing to play a constructive role in improving India-Pakistan ties, especially because of the hostility along the Line of Control.
"At the heart of the matter is really the issue of cross-border terrorism perpetrated on India, including on J&K. So, the matter is that cross-border terrorism in our region emanating from a particular source is threatening peace and stability not only in India but other neighbours," MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay Thursday said.
