MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd August, 2020) India, Pakistan, and China should engage in tripartite talks to resolve current issues and finalize their boundaries to ensure lasting and sustainable peace in the Kashmir region, former Indian government interlocutor Mohammad Mukhtar Ansari told the Anadolu news agency in an interview.
Tensions over border disputes between Asian giants in the Kashmir region came to a head in mid-June when a deadly brawl broke out between Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Ladakh region, an area that has been under dispute between Pakistan, India, and China for decades. New Delhi said that 20 of its soldiers died in the skirmish, while an undisclosed number of Chinese soldiers are believed to have perished.
"Since Jammu and Kashmir do not have demarcated borders, it is urgently required to initiate a tripartite dialogue process with Pakistan and China to resolve all the contentious issues relating to the finalization and acceptance of international borders, which are critical for ensuring sustainable peace and development in the region. There is no reason why the Prime Minister Modi government having absolute political mandate and authority should not engage the neighbors to resolve the contentious issues," Ansari told the media.
Meanwhile, the former official stated that New Delhi's decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir state of autonomy last year broke trust and understanding between the countries but did not reach planned goals.
"The objective of restoring peace has therefore not been realized. Likewise, socioeconomic activities have also suffered due to which joblessness has increased. Heavy militarization of the region discourages all forms of public and private investments," Ansari said.
Last August, New Delhi stripped the Jammu and Kashmir state of its partial autonomy, dividing it into two union territories directly controlled by the Indian government. Pakistan, which has long been claiming the Kashmir region, partially located in the state, condemned the move strongly.
