Indo-Pak tension a big risk for America: US lawmakers

Escalating tension between India and Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir presents “a clear national security risk” for the United States, seven members of American Congress stated.

Ilhan Omar and six other members of the American Congress asked the US ambassador to India, Kenneth I. Juster, to prod Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Government in New Delhi to “immediately restore communications” in J&K and “allow the press to access the region”. They also asked US ambassador to India to “strongly urge” authorities in New Delhi to release political leaders and activists they have “arbitrarily” detained.

Omar, a firebrand critic of US President Donald Trump, was joined by six other members of the Democratic Party in the American House of Representatives to write the letter to both Juster and Paul W. Jones, the acting envoy of Washington D.C. to Pakistan.

They expressed “grave concern” over the situation in J&K. “It has now been nearly more than a month since the Government of India shut off communications to, from, and within Kashmir. This is a deeply ominous sign that is incompatible with both democratic and human rights norms,” they wrote to Juster and Jones on Tuesday. “Coupled with the enforced curfew, it represents an unacceptable restriction on the freedoms of expression, assembly, and movement.”

The letter was released to media just days before Prime Minister is set to commence his week-long visit to the US. He is likely to be joined by US President at a conclave of about 50000 Indian-Americans in Houston next Sunday.

Modi and Trump are also likely to have a bilateral meeting either in Houston or in New York, where both leaders are expected to address the United Nations General Assembly next week.

“As you both know very well, there is also the risk that the relationship between India and Pakistan will continue to devolve as a result of this crisis. This presents tremendous danger to global peace and a clear national security risk for the United States,” noted Omar and the six other US lawmakers – Raúl M. Grijalva, Andy Levin, James P. McGovern, Ted Lieu, Alan Lowenthal and Donald S. Beyer.

They also underlined that Pakistan and India were both valued allies to America, crucial to the US interests in the region, including the peace process in Afghanistan. “It is of the utmost importance that we leverage our relationships with their governments to de-escalate the situation,” the seven members of the American Congress wrote to the US envoys to both India and Pakistan.

New Delhi of late strongly rejected US President's offer to mediate between India and Pakistan

Omar had expressed concern on the situation in J&K even earlier. So did several other US lawmakers, like Bernie Sanders and Pramila Jayapal. Four US senators – Chris Van Hollen, Todd Young, Ben Cardin and Lindsay G Graham – recently wrote to American President, expressing concern over the human rights situation in J&K and urging him to nudge New Delhi to ease restrictions, lift communication blackout and set free political leaders and activists detained in the wake of Modi Government's decision to strip the state of its special status and to reorganize it into two Union Territories. They noted that situation for people of J&K was turning more difficult with each passing day. They, however, also asked Pakistan to stop exporting terror to India.

External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, on Tuesday dismissed critical remarks made by some US lawmakers against India on the situation in J&K, particularly on the restrictions on citizens on the newly-constituted Union Territory and detention of political leaders and activists. He noted that the US Senators and Representatives sometimes made remarks on certain issues without having adequate knowledge about the subjects only because they were told to say so.