ISLAMABAD       -     Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi yesterday warned that India could carry a misadventure including false flag operation to divert international attention from the Kashmir issue.

In a statement, the FM said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Foreign Office had become the voice of Kashmiris amid bloodshed in the held territory.

Qureshi said that the US Congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission held a hearing to “examine the human rights situation in the former state of Jammu and Kashmir in India in historical and national context.”

He said that the international human rights organizations’ envoys, experts and analyst stressed during the hearing that ‘Hindu nationalism’ in India was growing fast.

Pakistan’s military has already warned India against any misadventure as it would be responded very strongly.

Tensions between Pakistan and India spiked after India abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcated it into two union territories, evoking strong reaction from Pakistan. India has defiantly told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was an “internal matter.”

This week, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Pakistan was spreading love while India was fuelling hatred. “On one side, Pakistan is opening the corridor of love, whereas on the other, India is imposing restrictions on offering Jumma (Friday) and Eid prayers in occupied Kashmir. The Kashmiris are even not allowed to take out processions of Muharramul Haram and Eid Miladun Nabi (Peace Be Upon Him),” he said.

Last week, Pakistan opened the historic Kartarpur Corridor as a testimony to Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace. Prime Minister Imran Khan later congratulated the Sikh community on the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism.

FM Qureshi urged the international community and human rights organisations to play their due and proactive role to get the Kashmiri people rid of the Indian brutalities.

Pakistan, he said, would continue to extend legal, moral and diplomatic support for the Kashmiris until realisation of their right to “self-determination” in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram urged the United Nations General Assembly President that international community must play its role to resolve the Kashmir dispute as it can become a flash point between two nuclear-armed states.

During his meeting with UNGA President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, he said that situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir, which had been under a repressive military lockdown for over four months is now further worsening.

Munir Akram apprised him that despite the lapse of one hundred days of India’s inhuman curfew and blanket restrictions on all forms of communications as well as systematic intimidation, normalcy has still not returned and fear grips the disputed state. 

He also discussed in the meeting regarding Sustainable Development Goals with focus on the goal of zero hunger aimed at ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture as well as measures to curb illicit financial flows.