KARACHI: Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, former prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, said on Saturday that major world powers, including the United States and the European Union, were now more than ever interested in the resolution of the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India.

Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, he said all major world powers were now very much interested in the resolution of this decades-old conflict.

“They know that both Pakistan and India are nuclear powers and that the world cannot afford a war between them. Therefore, these world forces, including the US and the EU, want to fix this issue at the earliest,” he added.

He claimed that these world powers appreciated Pakistan’s willingness for mediation from the United Nations for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

He dubbed this development at the international level a success of Pakistan’s policies and failure of India’s narrative, saying that the world saw Pakistan’s role as a responsible state and rejected the propaganda of India.

“We are ready for the UN mediation because our case is strong. They don’t like India’s attitude in this regard because it doesn’t accept mediation from anyone.”

Mr Chaudhry recalled his recent visit to Europe with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi where he addressed British legislators and briefed them on the situation in India-held Kashmir. He claimed that the European countries supported Pakistan’s stance over the Kashmir dispute and expressed their sympathy with the people of India-held Kashmir.

“India is facing another embarrassing situation because many parties in India disown the policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party government. Parties in India-held Kashmir and prominent Kashmiri leaders, including Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah, are openly criticising the Indian government and its policies,” he added.

He claimed that American officials appreciated Pakistan’s role in the ongoing talks between the US and the Afghan Taliban.

He said US President Donald Trump made efforts for defusing tensions between Pakistan and India when a war-like situation was created between the two countries.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2019