While India Sees Kashmir As Its Land, Pakistan ‘Feels Extremely Linked’ To Kashmiri Muslims sputniknews.com

New Delhi‘s decision to reorganize Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories has prompted protests from Islamabad and Beijing. Dr. Qanta A. Ahmed, a British-American political commentator, has explained why neglecting the long-disputed Kashmir issue is fraught with risks for India, Pakistan, and the US. Kashmir has yet again entered the focus of worldwide attention following New Delhi’s decision to make all the provisions of the Indian constitution applicable to the India-administered Jammu and Kashmir region and to revoke Article 370 that provided the state with a special autonomous status.

On 6 August, India’s parliament approved the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir into a union territory (UT) and creating a separate UT in Ladakh, which immediately prompted a wave of criticism from neighboring Pakistan. Islamabad claimed that the change of the status of the Muslim-majority province was illegal and suspended diplomatic ties with New Delhi, expelling the Indian high commissioner.

In a bid to internationalize the Kashmir issue, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan pledged to bring it up at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) session in New scheduled for 27 September. For its part, New Delhi argues that the Jammu and Kashmir Special status change is India’s internal matter.