ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday held an important meeting in which security situation of the country and region were discussed along with other important issues.
It is pertinent to mention here that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has been given an extension in term for another three years by PM Imran Khan. The decision to extend the employment of COAS was taken in view of the security situation in the region.
Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was previously acting as commander of an important Rawalpindi Corps and was employed as Inspector General Training and Evaluation at GHQ, a position General Raheel Sharif held before becoming the Army Chief. In November 2016, General Qamar Javed Bajwa assumed leadership as the new Army Chief of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned the global community about simmering tensions between nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India as the possibility of having a dialogue with Modi-led Hindu nationalist government has “nearly” ended.
PM Khan asserted that all possible efforts were made to negotiate with the Indian government, but Indian PM Narendra Modi “is unlikely to initiate talks with the Pakistani government.
Amid the escalating military tensions, PM Khan has intensified his criticism of India over its atrocities and human rights’ violations in Kashmir, saying he would no longer seek dialogue with Indian officials -implying that the danger of war between nuclear neighbours is rising.
In an interview with New York Times, PM Khan stated: “There is no point in talking to them. I mean, I have done all the talking. Unfortunately, now when I look back, all the overtures that I was making for peace and dialogue, I think they took it for appeasement,” Khan said during the interview, at the prime minister’s office in Islamabad. “There is nothing more that we can do.”
Imran Khan has repeatedly denounced India’s Hindu nationalist government for terminating Indian-held Kashmir’s autonomy through a rushed presidential decree on August 05.
Since then, India has deployed tens of thousands of troops to quell any possible unrest and severed nearly all communications in the poor Himalayan region, what has been termed as a possible “nuclear flashpoint” by Pakistan Armed Forces’ media wing’s Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor in a press conference.
Indian soldiers and police officers have been accused of using excessive force on Kashmiri civilians, and have detained the territory’s political leadership, drawing strong criticism from rights groups and the United Nations.
It has been difficult to ascertain the full extent of the crackdown because of the Indian measures.
In their litany of accusations, PM Khan and his cabinet ministers have likened the New Delhi government to Nazi Germany and claimed that genocide is unfolding in the territory.
Although PM Khan’s assertions have been criticised for their hyperbole, many Indian Muslims do feel discriminated against by the central government, which has often watched on as Hindu citizens have violently targeted them.
Echoing what he and his subordinates have said on social media and in Pakistani news outlets, PM Khan has described Modi as a fascist and Hindu supremacist who intends to eradicate Kashmir’s mostly Muslim population and populate the region with Hindus.
“The most important thing is that eight million people’s lives are at risk. We are all worried that there is ethnic cleansing and genocide about to happen,” PM Khan said.
PM Khan spoke to The Times a day after he said he had spoken by phone with President Trump and told him of a “potentially very explosive situation” between his country and India.
Imran Khan also expressed concern that India might undertake a deceptive “false-flag operation” in Indian held Kashmir to try to justify military action against Pakistan. And Pakistan, he said, would be forced to respond.
“And then you are looking at two nuclear-armed countries eyeball to eyeball, and anything can happen,” he said.
“My worry is that this can escalate and for two nuclear-armed countries, it should be alarming for the world what we are facing now.”
India’s nuclear weapons policy is known as “no first use,” meaning the country will not initiate the use of its arsenal in any conflict.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister chaired a meeting of the Kashmir Core Group at the Prime Minister’s Office Thursday.
The main focus was on Pakistan’s extensive political and diplomatic outreach and efforts to raise the international community’s awareness about the dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir and the serious risks for peace and security posed by India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019.
The continued lockdown of millions of Kashmiris since 5 August 2019 and India’s repression and growing atrocities were strongly condemned.
Pakistan’s abiding solidarity with the Kashmiri brethren in siege was reaffirmed.
It was noted that the international community including the UN Security Council, international human rights organizations, international humanitarian organizations and the international media had taken cognizance of the serious situation and calls were growing on India to immediately lift the curfew and other restrictions and alleviate the sufferings of the Kashmiri people.
During the meeting, measures were agreed to further reinforce Pakistan’s efforts in the political, diplomatic, legal and media domains to highlight the Kashmir cause worldwide and to enable the people of Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir realize their right to self-determination.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has reiterated commitment to provide all facilities to the investors in undertaking profitable business ventures in Pakistan.
In a talk to a delegation of China Power Hub Generation Company led by its Chief Executive Officer Zhao Yonggang in Islamabad.
Imran Khan said the government’s new energy policy focuses on promoting alternate and renewable sources of energy. He also encouraged the Chinese company to set up waste to energy power plant in Pakistan.
The Prime Minister appreciated Chinese support in important projects contributing to the economic stability of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, marking the first International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief on 22 August, Prime Minister Imran Khan highlighted the predicament of the people of Indian held Kashmir owing to Indian atrocities after New Delhi scrapped the occupied valley’s autonomy.
The premier took to Twitter and wrote, “Today, on the 1st International Day for Victims of Violence based on Religion or Belief, we call attention to the plight of millions of Kashmiris living under brutal Indian Occupation, abuse & violence, deprived of all fundamental rights & freedoms.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan will leave for the United States on four-day official visit on September 23.
During the visit, the prime minister will address United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Imran Khan will also hold separate meetings with leaders of different countries.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will arrive in the US before the prime minister. – NNI