End 'cross border terrorism', Pakistan daily says

Pakistan must recognise India's security concerns and clamp down all those involved in "cross-border terrorism", a leading Pakistani daily said on Thursday.

Without this, Pakistan and India won't be able to engage with each other to resolve their disputes, the Daily Times said in an editorial.

"Support for the Kashmiri movement in Pakistan must be simply a diplomatic one, and no militant group endorsing an armed struggle is to be supported," it said.

At the same time, India has to address Pakistan's security concerns as well and it must also shed its intransigent stand of not putting Kashmir on the agenda.

India accuses Pakistan of arming the militant campaign in Kashmir and pushing militants into Jammu and Kashmir. Islamabad says it only provides diplomatic support to separatists in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Prosperity in Kashmir can only be achieved if Pakistan and India cooperate with each other to attain it," the Times said.

"Pakistan and India both must come forward and engage with each other so that their disputes can be resolved," it added.

The daily, however, criticized Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for merely reiterating New Delhi's long-standing position on Jammu and Kashmir despite a wave of unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

Modi's comments were "characterised by the same selective amnesia towards the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people", it said.

"Unfortunately, the Kashmir dispute is only looked through the lens of the rivalry that exists between Pakistan and India," the daily said.

"Kashmiris must be made equal partners in any negotiations that take place on the future of the valley."

More than 55 people have been killed and thousands injured in violent unrest in the Kashmir Valley since Indian security forces killed a rebel commander on July 8.

--IANS

mr/ruwa