India’s extremist rhetoric over Pulwama incident created tension in region: Masood

ISLAMABAD, Feb 24 (APP):Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan Sunday said India’s extremist rhetoric over the Pulwama incident had created tension in the region.
Addressing a joint press conference here along with former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, he said India had increased killings in the occupied Kashmir and arrested over 200 people during the past few days.

“India’s efforts to plunge the two countries into war just for the sake of winning elections will be folly. India should restrain from any sort of aggression where it can flare into her own fire. The tyranny exposed over Kashmiris is a major issue than the Pulwama incident,” he remarked.
He said he wanted to tell India that diplomacy was a better medium to address the Kashmir issue.
The AJK president said, “All the foreign media and parliaments, especially the European Union Parliament, are raising their voice for the Kashmir Issue but it is not sufficient. The international community and the United Nations should play their role and help resolve the Kashmir Issue. The UN should appoint its special envoy for Kashmir.”
He also called for setting up special Kashmir desks to help the UN envoys for swift development over resolution of the issue.
“Even if there are no Kashmir desks formed to address the issue then the diplomats are well equipped to advocate the Kashmir issue,” he added.
He said, “I categorically want to say that Kashmiris have nothing to do with terrorism, neither they support it nor endorse it. Their movement is purely political and aimed at achieving their fundamental right of self-determination for freedom of the occupied territory. There is no terrorism in the IoK and the people of Jammu & Kashmir do not believe in violence and terrorism rather they consider attaining freedom through peaceful struggle.”
He said former Norwegian prime minister Kjell Magne Bondevik was a statesman of global stature, who was voluntarily working for the Kashmir cause. He was working for peace between the two countries, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Kjell Magne Bondevik said, “I am neutral in my resolve over the Kashmir issue and doed not believe that violence is the solution. India and Pakistan shall resolve the issue through mutual dialogue. Since Kashmir issue is bilateral so it demands to have two-sided talks and cooperation to reach at a common point to end conflict.”
He said, “I have visited both the sides of Kashmir. The people in IOK are in dangerous and a large number of them are affected. India and Pakistan shall resolve the Kashmir through dialogue.”