Iran urges India to adopt ‘fair policy’ towards Kashmiri Muslims

'The British have intentionally inflicted this wound on that region for the continuation of clashes in Kashmir'

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government to adopt a fair policy towards the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and stop suppressing its Muslims.

“We have good relations with the government of India, but the Indian government is expected to adopt a fair policy towards the noble people of Kashmir, so that this region’s Muslim people would not be oppressed,” said Khamenei during a meeting with President Hassan Rouhani and his cabinet members on Wednesday.

According to Iranian media, the Iranian top leader also described the current situation in Occupied Kashmir and the disputes between Islamabad and New Delhi as a result of measures by the vicious British government before its pullout from the Indian Subcontinent.

Iran urges India, Pakistan to avoid any 'hasty' Kashmir decision

“The British have intentionally inflicted this wound on that region for the continuation of clashes in [Occupied] Kashmir,” he added.

Tensions linger in the disputed Himalayan region after the Indian government earlier this month had revoked the special status of Occupied Kashmir and rushed through a presidential decree in a bid to fully integrate its only Muslim-majority region with the rest of the country.

By repealing Article 370 of the constitution, people from the rest of India will now have the right to acquire property in Occupied Kashmir and settle there permanently.

Kashmiris see the move as an attempt to dilute the demographics of Muslim-majority Kashmir with Hindu settlers.

Pakistan had strongly condemned the move and vowed to “exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps” taken by India.