KARACHI: Residents in Pakistan’s largest city Karachi said on Wednesday that India and Pakistan must engage in serious dialogue over the Kashmir issue, as they resumed their daily routines four days after a ceasefire agreement between the two countries.
The spark for the latest chaos was an April 22 attack in Indian Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them tourists.
New Delhi blamed the incident on “terrorists” backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. India and Pakistan have fought three major wars and been at loggerheads since their independence.
“The foremost matter is Kashmir itself. We, Pakistan, are clearly stating that we are ready to talk, and India must approach this with sincerity,” said Karachi resident Shams Keerio.
“Without serious dialogue that includes negotiations over Kashmir, these talks will not succeed.”
Another Karachi resident, Amir Nisar, said the issue should be resolved according to UN resolutions. He also called on India to respect the ceasefire brokered by Washington between the two states.
“If they do not respect it, then I believe that if a real war breaks out between Pakistan and India, it can lead to the loss of lives of millions of people,” he said.
“[Indian PM] Narendra Modi, being from a big country, should be aware that he should refrain from war.”
The two nuclear-armed nations have fought two out of three wars over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir. India and Pakistan both claim territory in full but govern only parts of it.
