ndia bilateral conflict. The international community is also not interested in the solution of the Kashmir issue but they want to arbitrate on this issue between India and Pakistan in order to avoid direct military confrontation and its escalation on the post-Pulwama spat pattern because of the bilateral nuclear dimension. India is trying to deflect that pressure through the use of violence, including cluster bombs at LoC to show its seriousness towards keeping Kashmir as a bilateral issue.
Narendra Modi contested the 2019 election in India on the issue of changing the special status of Kashmir and settlement of non-Kashmiri Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir as the agenda of BJP’s manifesto. This narrative is materialized through revoking article 370 and 35A in order to alter the special status of Kashmir. Therefore, the security situation is at high alert in the Jammu Kashmir valley. BJP wants to seek majority in the Kashmir assembly through the settlement of non-Kashmiris in Jammu Kashmir, which is India’s planned strategy of demographic engineering in Kashmir.
The 5th August plan of India’s military concentration and increase in troop build-up in Jammu Kashmir reflected the country’s preemptive strategy to deal with any uneven situation. Kashmiri leadership has strongly expressed their opposition to any development seeking changes in the demographic and constitutional status of Jammu Kashmir. Indian nationalist Kashmir leaders have opposed this proposal of to annul article 370. BJP government has adopted suppressive policies in Kashmir to achieve this objective.
A curfew is imposed in the valley after India’s stringent measures for evacuation of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims and foreign tourists from the valley which has created panic in the region. People are facing massive paramilitary operation in the valley which will worsen the situation in the coming months by creating a grave humanitarian crisis as blatant human rights violations are under progress in Jammu Kashmir.
Pakistan has preempted signs of Indian aggression and the foreign minister has written a letter to the UN Secretary General to register Pakistan’s apprehensions on India’s use of cluster bombs on LoC and HR’s violations in the valley. Civilian citizens are targeted in this attack which is a violation of humanitarian law. This trend reflects India’s frustration and attempt to create a likely scenario of military crisis on Pakistan’s border through any false flag operation to deflect criticism on Kashmir. India wants to create diplomatic leverage for it through such staged drama to pressurize Pakistan and scuttle international pressure on Kashmir.
NSC meeting and declaration reflected a responsible approach of Pakistan towards the situation in Jammu Kashmir. Indian intentions are clear and if India takes further practical steps to repeal the special status of Kashmir and curb Kashmiri resistance through use of force, it will increase problems for Pakistan. The Kashmir issue has no military solution but if Indian oppressive policies continue in Jammu Kashmir, it will fuel sentiments of non-state forces in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to respond to Indian aggression through violent means which can pollute the indigenous Kashmiri peaceful political movement. It can also create a regional security situation of cross border movement in South Asia which will have perilous security implications. Therefore, a holistic approach is required to deal with this situation.
USA, Russia and China have emphasized to Pakistan and India to solve the Kashmir issue peacefully. So, in any future conflict scenario, Pakistan will need strong brinkmanship to deal with the situation because of limited international support on the issue. Pakistan only has diplomatic options on Kashmir policy, while India is emphasizing on a military option in Kashmir and deflect international pressure by creating confrontation. India has stated the policy option of a ‘military standoff’ in order to exhaust the weak economy of the opponent which cannot bear the cost of such a crisis. In the p