Islamabad: Pakistan did not outright reject India’s recent proposal about the possibility of the demilitarisation of the Siachen Glacier saying Pakistan was committed to improving relations with India and having a dialogue which is meaningful, constructive, result-oriented and sustained.
“On multiple occasions, the prime minister and the foreign minister have expressed our position on this matter (dialogue). But India has vitiated the environment — the conditions are not there. We have repeatedly said that onus lies on India to take necessary steps for an environment conducive for constructive dialogue,” said the spokesperson at the Foreign Office, during the weekly media briefing.
He was asked about Pakistan’s reaction to any possibility of India demilitarisation of the Siachin Glacier.
Recently, Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane had said that India was not averse to the possible demilitarisation of the Siachen Glacier provided Pakistan accepted the 110-km Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) that separates Indian and Pakistani positions.
“Pakistan has a policy, which is derived from the principle of a friendly neighbourhood. We want peace and friendship in our neighbourhood, good relations with all including India,” the FO spokesperson said.
“But you have seen how the developments have unfolded in our region; you have witnessed the very hostile Indian attitude especially during the last couple of years and since the illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019 in IIOJ&K, the situation has further deteriorated and in this context, we have to see how we can move forward,” added the spokesperson.
In his opening statement, the spokesperson said it is encouraging that the international community is increasingly realising the gravity of the situation in IIOJ&K towards which Pakistan has been drawing attention all these years.
“You would have followed example the Russell Tribunal on Kashmir held in Sarajevo last month, and the filing earlier this week of an application by a London-based law firm with the British Police seeking the arrest of Indian officials over their alleged role in war crimes in IIOJ&K,” he pointed out.
Reportedly, the law firm has submitted a report based on over 2,000 testimonies taken between 2020 and 2021, providing extensive evidence to the Metropolitan Police’s War Crimes Unit documenting how Indian military and civil leadership were responsible for the torture, kidnapping and killing of activists, journalists and civilians.
“It is self-evident that India can no longer escape international and legal censure for its rampant human rights violations in IIOJ&K, and we call upon the international community, particularly the United Nations and international human rights and humanitarian organisations to hold India accountable”, said the spokesperson.
He added that the world needs to do more because the kind of reaction and response that is there is not enough, and that is why Pakistan continues to raise its voice and mobilise international opinion and support for the Kashmiri people.
