ISLAMABAD: Repeating the warning of heightened risk of military adventurism by India, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday said he could see an Indian conspiracy behind the actions that Delhi took in recent weeks for disturbing peace.

Mr Qureshi had a few days back disclosed that Pakistani intelligence had “picked signals and noticed extraordinary movements” revealing India’s malicious designs. In his recent letter to the president of UN Security Council, he had emphasised that over 3,000 ceasefire violations (by India); partial removal of the fence on the LoC (by India) in five sectors; deployment of Brahmos Missile, anti-tank guided missiles and Spike missiles; and conduct of numerous missile tests since August 2019 constituted threat to peace and security.

One reason behind these actions, he believed, could be to distract the world’s attention from the protests going on in India against a controversial citizenship law. “In this situation India can do a mischief at LoC,” he said, adding that “Indian intentions were clear to everyone”. He asked the world to end its silence on situation in India-held Kashmir. “I want to tell those, who are keeping silent over the situation because of their interests that this silence can prove costly,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2019