India-Pakistan war: Let good sense arise in the leadership of countries
Tensions have been simmering along the border between India and Pakistan since a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India-controlled Kashmir, on April 22 killed 26 tourists.
India suspended the Indus Water Treaty, signed in 1962, accusing Pakistan of supporting the terrorist attacks.
Both countries closed their borders and banned each other’s flights from their respective airspaces. It didn’t end there.
Fifteen days after the attack, India carried out air strikes on nine locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Agency reports said Pakistan shot down 5 Indian fighter jets. Pakistani authorities have reported that at least 26 people were killed and 46 injured in the Indian attack.
In contrast, at least 15 people were killed and 40 injured in Pakistani retaliatory attacks in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
While India denied attacking Pakistani military or civilian installations, Pakistan claimed that a hydroelectric power plant was partially damaged.
Agency reports further said, Pakistan downed 25 Indian loitering munitions drones across the country after a series of provocations.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over any Indian attack on Pakistan and Pakistan’s counter-attack on Indian side.
US President Donald Trump has called for a ceasefire and vowed to exercise maximum restraint in taking military action.
Governments and heads of state of many countries including Japan, China and France have expressed concern. They also condemned the terrorist attack.
The repercussions of the conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have already begun to fall on the region.
Passenger and transportation costs have increased due to the closure of flights from one country to another using the airspace.
The stock markets of both India and Pakistan have plummeted. The stock market has also been affected in Bangladesh.
Despite several wars between India and Pakistan in the last 78 years, none of the country has benefited. Instead, a solution has had to be found through negotiations.
The Simla Agreement signed between India and Pakistan in 1972 contained a clear commitment to India and Pakistan to accept the Line of Control (LoC) and refrain from the use of force.
In this context, we also want to join hands with the peace-loving people of the world in saying that the operation should be stopped immediately.
May peace prevail on the Pakistan-India border! Along with this, the terrorist attacks in Kashmir should also be properly investigated and those responsible should be brought to justice.
We hope that common sense will emerge in the leadership of both India and Pakistan.