The Gulf Cooperation Council, an influential body of the leading oil exporting countries, has called for urgent dialogue between Pakistan and India amid escalating tensions in South Asia.
The Council, made up of world’s leading oil exporters with close ties to both South Asian countries, also voiced deep concern over the deteriorating security situation and the rising tide of Islamophobia in the region.
Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi in a statement said the Council urges both nations to “exercise restraint and prioritise diplomacy” following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, which killed and injured dozens of civilians, including tourists.
The GCC is a political and economic alliance of six Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait.
These Muslim-majority countries have huge Pakistani and Indian expatriate communities including investors, workers and technology experts, among others.
Since April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam area of Indian-controlled Kashmir, the United States, China and other major countries have issued calls for restraint. Soon after the attack, New Delhi claimed the gunmen had links to Pakistan. Islamabad has rejected the suggestion, saying India has provided no evidence whatsoever to back its claim.
Following that the two countries have exchanged fire across the heavily militarized Line of Control that divides the disputed territory between the two countries.
Washington has led calls for a responsible solution to the latest Kashmir crisis between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, who have several conflicts over the strategic Himalayan region, a source of river water for agrarian lands in both countries.
Condemning the attack, the secretary general underlined the importance of peaceful conflict resolution by international law and the United Nations Charter.
The statement noted that “regional peace and stability can only be achieved through dialogue and mutual understanding.”
Albudaiwi reiterated the GCC’s principled stance against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and called on the international community to step up efforts toward a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
In this respect, he noted the need to adhere to relevant UN Security Council resolutions addressing the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
The secretary general also cautioned against the growing trend of Islamophobia in the region, warning that “discriminatory rhetoric and policies could further inflame tensions and undermine peace efforts.”
Muhammad Luqman is Associate Editor at Views News Now. He writes on wide-ranging issues including economy, South Asia, the Middle East, agriculture, economy and innovation. Luqman has worked some of the leading news organizations and won acclaim for his original and research-based works.
