The European Union (EU) Parliament has asked India and Pakistan to engage in direct dialogue on Kashmir to ensure a peaceful resolution to the conflict and practice restraint.
The parliament raised the Kashmir issue on September 17 for the first time in 12 years. Starting the debate on behalf of the vice president of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, EU Minister Tytti Tuppurainen said no one could afford another escalation in Kashmir.
She asked India and Pakistan to seek a peaceful and diplomatic solution, acceptable for the civilian Kashmiri population on both sides of the Line of Control.
She said this is the only way to solve the longtime dispute to avoid crisis and insecurity in the region.
The minister mentioned the importance of avoiding further escalation, saying the EU’s position on Kashmir remains unchanged.
She said freedom of movement and all communication mediums should be restored fully as well as access to all essential livelihood.
Tuppurainen mentioned the EU will continue to closely monitor the situation.
On August 5, The government, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), passed a bill by overruling Articles 370 and 35A, proposing the Jammu and Kashmir state be split into two union territories fully under the rules and power of New Delhi.
Right now, Several million Kashmiris are currently cut off from communicating with the outside world for more than a month, and India has strengthened its ferocious military clutches on the occupied state. Authoritarian Indian armed forces have ceased down the network facilities, including internet and landlines, banned protests and group gatherings, imposed curfews and deployed tens of thousands of troops into the region to escalate its existing military power of around 700,000 soldiers in the occupied valley of Kashmir.