US President Barack Obama should play a role in bringing Pakistan and India closer to help them resolve the Kashmir dispute and also avoid a nuclear war in the region, a senior Kashmiri political leader said.
"It's time Obama declares a clear policy to help resolve the Kashmir dispute to end conflict between Pakistan and India because war against terrorism cannot be won without resolving this issue," said Sardar Atiq Ahmad Khan, former prime minister, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and President of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference.
"It is time that the world community, especially the US, play as mediator and facilitator to de-escalate the tension between the two countries because bilateral talks between India and Pakistan on Kashmir dispute have miserably failed during the last 62 years," Khan, told a press conference in Dubai.
Both Pakistan and India had stopped talks on the Kashmir issue since the Mumbai terrorist attacks last year. "The US should pressurise both the countries to resume talks to ease tension in the region," Khan said.
The former prime minister also stressed the need to seek an immediate interim solution to the Kashmir issue. "Troops should withdraw, trade between both sides of the Line of Control (LOC) should be opened, intra-Kashmir dialogue should be started and Kashmiris should be allowed free movement across the LOC," he said, reiterating his demand to reduce the Line of Control to the Line of Commerce.
"The international community cannot leave Kashmir issue hanging in the air unresolved because it can trigger nuclear war between the neighbouring countries," he said. Pakistan and India have already fought three wars on the issue.
"The unresolved Kashmir dispute not only poses a serious threat to the region but also to world peace," Khan warned.
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