Pakistan's caretaker PM accuses India of killing separatists in Canada

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
24 Sep 2023 09:26
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New Delhi has consistently reaffirmed that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, and will remain, an integral and inseparable part of India.

Pakistan's interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar holds an interview during his for the UN General Assembly in New York, on Sept. 22, 2023. (AP)

Pakistan's caretaker PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar affirmed on Friday his support for Canada's assertion of Indian involvement in the assassination of separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

He emphasized the importance of countering all forms of terrorism, including those inspired by Hindutva extremism, during his address at the UN General Assembly where he also brought up the Kashmir issue.

"We must counter all terrorists without discrimination, including the rising threat by far-right and fascist groups, such as Hindutva-inspired extremists threatening genocide against India’s Muslims and Christians alike," Kakar said as he addressed the UN.

He also brought up the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that it plays a pivotal role in achieving peace between New Delhi and Islamabad.

During his address, Kakar said Pakistan desires peaceful and productive relations with all its neighbors, including India. "Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India," he said.

"Development depends on peace. Pakistan is situated in the least economically integrated region in the world. Pakistan believes that regions develop together therefore [the country] desires peaceful and productive relations with all neighbors, including India," he said.

Kakar emphasized that the UN Security Council should ensure the enforcement of its resolutions regarding Kashmir and suggested that the United Nations Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) should be strengthened. "Global powers should convince New Delhi to accept Pakistan's offer of mutual restraint on strategic and conventional weapons," he said.

"The disgusting reality hidden behind Hindutva’s political agenda in which fascism and chauvinism are very deeply rooted, it is such a dangerous phenomenon that it can ensnare the whole region and the rest of the world in the fires of war," he stressed.

According to him, Balochistan has been severely impacted by Hindutva politics, and Pakistan asserted it possesses sufficient evidence to support this assertion. It "included the confession of high-ranking Indian military officer Kulbhushan Jadhav", Kakar said before the Assembly.

Supporting Canada's allegations against India, Kakar stated that the Sikh separatist leader was "innocent" and hailed him as a "martyr." He further described the killing of Nijjar, whom he considered "an innocent person," as a "major crime."

"India as a state has killed humanity on Canadian soil, which cannot be condemned enough," the Minister said.

India has conveyed to Pakistan its aspiration for peaceful and cooperative neighborly relations, devoid of terrorism, hostility, and conflict. New Delhi has consistently reaffirmed that Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh are, and will remain, an integral and inseparable part of India.

Additionally, India has urged Pakistan to prioritize its domestic affairs over raising the Kashmir issue and making baseless accusations against New Delhi.

The escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan occurred following the revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution by New Delhi on August 5, 2019, which led to the removal of Jammu and Kashmir's special status.