Pakistan’s continuous efforts to exert international pressure on India regarding the Kashmir issue is turning out to be fruitless with every passing day. After being snubbed by the United Nations, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made it clear to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that any differences over Kashmir remain a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan.
Boris Johnson, UK’s new Prime Minister has been holding formal conversations with world leaders after he assumed office last month. The telephonic discussion with PM Modi was a part of a series of calls to leaders of different nations.
“The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi discussed the current situation in Kashmir”, a Downing Street spokesperson said in an official readout of the phone call. “The Prime Minister made clear that the UK views the issue of Kashmir as one for India and Pakistan to resolve bilaterally. He underlined the importance of resolving issues through dialogue,” the spokesperson said.
During the conversation, PM Modi also raised the issue of the anti-Indian protests in London, where hundreds of Pakistan-sponsored goons had attacked Indian families gathered to celebrate India’s Independence day on 15th August.
The protest had witnessed despicable scenes of hundreds of Pakistani thugs and hooligan glass bottles, shoes, plastic bottles, lighters, bananas, batteries, potatoes, hot coffee, their own placards and apples over the heads of the horses at the Indian diaspora who which had gathered outside the embassy to celebrate the Independence Day. Four people were arrested in connection with the incident by the London police.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Modi drew Johnson’s attention to the challenges posed by “vested interests pursuing their motivated agenda, including by violent means”. During the conversation, PM Modi called for “effective steps to ward off the threats posed by radicalisation, violence and intolerance.”
The matter was raised in the light of numerous reports suggesting that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is using certain groups based in the UK to radicalise Sikh youths and collect funds for terrorist activities in India.
Johnson regretted the incident and assured that all necessary steps would be taken to ensure safety and security of the High Commission, its personnel and visitors, the statement said.
In addition, the two sides agreed on the importance of the partnership and the need to build on it further, particularly through trade and economic ties, which they termed as the “living bridge that links our countries”.
The telephone conversation came ahead of the G7 meeting in France over the weekend, where the two leaders are scheduled to meet for the first time since Johnson became UK Prime Minister. Therefore their discussions also covered the summit in Biarritz and the issue of importance to both nations.