''Ignoring Kashmir will push India, Pak closer to military confrontation''

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, August 30

Upping his anti India rhetoric, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned that the “two nuclear-armed states will get ever closer to a direct military confrontation” if the world “continued to ignore the Kashmir issue.”

In an editorial piece written for The New York Times, the Pakistan Prime minister chose to carry out a no-holds-barred attack on India, warning that “a bloodbath is feared in Kashmir when the curfew is lifted”.

Claiming that he had taken several steps for peace with India, but every time his moves were turned down. “On May 23, after Mr. Modi’s re-election, I congratulated him and hoped we could work for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia. In June, I sent another letter to Mr Modi offering dialogue to work toward peace. Again, India chose not to respond. And we found out that while I was making peace overtures, India had been lobbying to get Pakistan placed on the “blacklist” at the intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force, which could lead to severe economic sanctions and push us toward bankruptcy.’’

Continuing his rhetoric on Kashmir, Khan warned, “If the world does nothing to stop the Indian assault on Kashmir and its people, there will be consequences for the whole world as two nuclear-armed states get ever closer to a direct military confrontation.”