ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan used an address celebrating Independence Day on Wednesday to criticize India for its actions in the disputed Kashmir region that has long been a flashpoint between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
India revoked the special status of its portion of Himalayan Kashmir, known as Jammu and Kashmir, on Aug. 5 and moved to quell widespread unrest by shutting down communications and clamping down on freedom of movement.
Islamabad retaliated by suspending bilateral trade and all public transport links with India, as well as expelling New Delhi’s ambassador to Islamabad.
“Independence Day is an opportunity for great happiness, but today we are saddened by the plight of our Kashmiri brothers in occupied Jammu and Kashmir who are victims of Indian oppression,” Khan said in a statement.
“I assure my Kashmiri brothers that we stand with them,” he said. (Reuters)
