'India's illegal actions in IOK can push region into disastrous war'

Pakistan is a peace-loving country and it has no intention to initiate war, says AJK president

MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan on Tuesday described Pakistan as a peace-loving country and warned that India’s illegal and unilateral actions in occupied Kashmir can push the region into a disastrous war.

“Pakistan is a responsible and peace-loving country and it has no intention to initiate war but its forces should be ready to respond in befitting manner to any attack by India,” said the president while addressing under-training officers of Pakistan Naval War College Karachi at the President House Muzaffarabad.

He said India had unilaterally alter the status of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, maintaining that the territory was recognised as disputed by the United Nations.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government revoked the autonomous status of its only Muslim-majority region on August 5, besides imposing severe restrictions including curfew and communication blockade.

The AJK president went on to say that New Delhi is planing to convert the Muslim-majority into a minority by "illegally" settling the non-Kashmiri population into the disputed territory.

"India’s actions in IOK are not only unlawful but also the violation of Geneva Convention and its additional protocol.. Kashmir is undergoing the darkest time of its history as people of the region are suffering at the hands of foreign occupation forces," he added.



"Moral of Kashmiris is very high and no power on the earth can defeat them nor can force them to compromise on their dignity and identity."

President Masood called upon the international community to collectively raise their voice in support of Kashmiri peoples in their struggle for right to self-determination and peaceful settlement of Kashmir dispute in line with the United Nations' resolutions.

He lamented that the UN Security Council had only held an informal session on Kashmir that concluded without a presidential statement and asserted that the "UNSC must intervene before it is too late".

India had been targeting the civilian population along the Line of Control (LoC) to divert the world's attention from worst human rights crisis in the Himalayan valley, he added.

"Besides violating ceasefire agreement, India has restricted the movement of UN military observers to hide its crimes against humanity while Pakistan was extending full cooperation to the UN observers."