Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has raised the issue of Kashmir at the UN General assembly, expressing his support for Kashmir’s independence. Sharif’s speech is undoubtedly a response to the recent developments in the region, the killing of 18 Indian soldiers and many more injured and wounded, as well as Narendra Modi’s accusations against Pakistan (calling it a terrorist state). Indian officials have instantly called the UN speech into doubt and criticized PM Sharif.

Nawaz Sharif on a few occasions emphasized that the people of Kashmir have the right to struggle for their independence – a right that has been granted to them by the United Nations. He criticized the Indian government for stripping the Kashmir minorities of that privilege and using the military to suppress them. In his speech Sharif has also referred to Burhan Wani, the 22 year-old commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen movement, who was killed by Indian forces. To Sharif Wani appears as a hero – he said: ‘Burhan Wani (…) has emerged as the symbol of the latest Kashmiri Intifada, a popular and peaceful freedom movement, led by Kashmiris’. It met with an immediate Indian response, in which they accused the PM of supporting a self-declared terrorist.

Throughout his presentation Sharif expressed his continuous willingness for dialogue with India to end tensions in Kashmir, suggesting that the Indian government is, however, unprepared to do so. With reference to the speech, Indian Minister for External Affairs has responded to that, saying that he has never seen Pakistan ‘going extra mile’ to establish dialogue. Indian authorities have been also pleased with the fact the UN General Secretary, Ban Ki Moon, did not refer back to Sharif’s speech in his final presentation, taking it a sign of support for India. Tensions over Kashmir remain therefore unresolved and they are left to verbal confrontations between the authorities of Pakistan and India.

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