As Indian and Pakistani armies are trading heavy artillery firing and mortar shelling along the LoC in Kashmir, taking the escalation to new level, the separatist political leaders on Monday expressed concern over the rising tension and escalation.
"There is urgent need to restore dialogue and channels of communication between the two hostile neighbors India and Pakistan and take immediate steps to de-escalate the war like situation on LoC and borders which is causing death and suffering to people in both sides and is leading to their forced migration," moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said.
Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani also expressed serious concern "over the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan due to the rising incidents of cross-Line of Control firing."
"The ongoing assault along the LoC as a deliberate attempt of India to draw attention away from the Kashmir issue and mislead its own population about it," Geelani added.
Geelani sought UN intervention in addressing the Kashmir issue, saying it is the main reason for prevailing tensions along the border.
Geelani stated that the main cause of tension between the two countries is the pending Kashmir dispute and it is due to this lingering dispute that both the countries have fought wars. Geelani stated that the unresolved Kashmir dispute has created insecurity and instability in entire South Asia. “UN should press India to stop human rights violations in Kashmir and stress to resolve Kashmir as per the UN resolutions,” Geelani said.
