Messages from global powers started pouring in for Pakistan on Tuesday in the wake of India’s violation of the Line of Control (LOC), earlier in the day. Soon after the distasteful incident, the director general (DG) of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), relayed that Indian warplanes had violated the LoC and released their payload in Muzaffarabad sector of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lu Kang urged Pakistan and India to exercise restraint and help stabilise the situation in the region. The two countries were also called to improve their mutual relations. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had also called Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday to discuss the regional developments in the wake of the recent terror attack in Pulwama and said that China supported Pakistan and India in efforts to resolve their issues through dialogue. Wang is also expected to meet Indian Foreign Minister, Sushma Swaraj, and Russian diplomat, Sergei Lavrov, in Wuzhen, China, on Wednesday for a previously planned meeting.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU)spokeswoman, Maja Kocijancic, on Tuesday, also called on Pakistan and India to essentially exercise maximum restraint and avoid a further deterioration of the situation. The EU is in regular contact with the two countries to deliberate upon a peaceful solution to the dramatic escalation in the region.
Europe’s views were also echoed by Australia, according to a statement issued by the Australian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, which asked Islamabad and New Delhi to “exercise restraint, avoid any action which would endanger peace and security in the region and engage in dialogue to ensure that these issues are resolved peacefully”.
Australia’s Foreign Minister, Marise Payne, on Tuesday night, also asked Pakistan to take action against extremist groups, including Jaish-e-Mohammed that has claimed responsibility for the attack in Pulwama, and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The Senator said that Pakistan could no longer allow extremist groups to operate from its territory.
“These steps would make a substantial contribution to easing tensions and resolving the underlying causes of conflict,” she added Earlier in the day, the ISPR DG Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor had tweeted the “Indian Air Force violated Line of Control”, following which “Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled” and Indian aircraft went back.
No casualties or damage occurred, the military spokesperson had added. Pulwama attack has fast frosted the already chilly relations between Pakistan and India as tensions appear to be fast escalating. India’s pre-dawn strikes inside Pakistan were intended as a response to a terror attack inside Indian-held Kashmir on February 14. Pakistan has categorically denied its allegations and even offered to assist in the investigations of the attack. There are now increasing fears of a full-blown confrontation between the two nuclear powers.
Published in Daily Times, February 27th 2019.
