De-escalate India-Pak tension: US lawmakers

Washington, September 14

A group of American lawmakers have expressed “grave concern” over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and urged the US ambassadors in New Delhi and Islamabad to “de-escalate tensions” between India and Pakistan.

Tension between the two Asian nations spiked after India revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 on August 5 and bifurcated the state into two union territories, evoking protests from Pakistan.

In a letter to the American envoys in New Delhi and Islamabad—Kenneth Juster and Paul W Jones respectively—on Friday, the US Congressmen said there was risk that the relationship between India and Pakistan would continue to devolve as a result of this crisis.

“This presents tremendous danger to global peace and a clear national security risk for the US. Pakistan and India are both valued allies, crucial to our interests in the region, including the Afghanistan peace process,” the letter said.

“It is of utmost importance that we leverage our relationships with their government to deescalate the situation,” the Congressmen said and urged the two American diplomats to do everything in their power to “de-escalate the tensions”. Signatories to the letter are lawmakers Ilhan Omar, Raul M Grijalva, Andy Levin, James P McGovern, Ted Lieu, Donald Beyer and Alan Lowenthal. 

In the letter, the members of the US House of Representatives urged the two US envoys to also “facilitate connections between Kashmiri-Americans and their family members in Jammu and Kashmir; insist that the Indian government restore communications in Jammu and Kashmir and allow media to access the region.”

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after New Delhi abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories — Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. — PTI