ONCE again, the Indian leadership gave in to their worst impulses, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar making dangerous remarks about Azad Jammu & Kashmir. Speaking at Chatham House in London, Mr Jaishankar said that the `stolen part of Kashmir` (AJK) must be `returned` to India for the issue to be `solved.` Mr Jaishankar has not only displayed an utter disregard for historical facts but has further poisoned the well of potential dialogue between the two nuclear neighbours. As the Foreign Office pointed out, Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognised disputed territory. The FO`s assertion that `India`s prevarication cannot change this reality` strikes at the heart of the matter. No amount of constitutional tinkering or attempts to alter the demography of held Kashmir can erase the fact that the region`s final status must be determined in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions through a free and impartial plebiscite.

This is not the first time the BJP government has resorted to such provocation. Since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the Modi administration has sought to present occupied Kashmir as a settled issue, despite clear evidence of continued repression. The BJP`s attempts to force demographic changes, suppress dissent, and stifle journalism in the region have only served to deepen Kashmiri alienation. Reports from international watchdogs such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented the grave human rights abuses in the held territory, including arbitrary detentions and crackdowns on press freedoms.

No amount of rhetorical grandstanding can erase these realities.

Pakistan has repeatedly extended offers of dialogue to India, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif`s recent remarks in the AJK Legislative Assembly, in which he invited India to the negotiating table while emphasising that Pakistan would not compromise on its national interests. However, India prefers brinkmanship over diplomacy. The path forward remains clear.

Rather than engaging in such escalation, India should heed Pakistan`s offers for dialogue. Global stakeholders must also play their part by holding India accountable for its increasingly belligerent stance. Try as they might, Indian leaders cannot change the fact that they are Pakistan`s neighbours. In these tense times, prudence cannot be understated. For lasting peace in South Asia, India must abandon such reckless rhetoric. Anything less is a recipe for continued instability in the region.