ISLAMABAD : Defusing Kashmir Conflict
In the first hint of a diplomatic breakthrough since the bloody Kashmir conflict erupted again early this year, foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan open two days of talks Wednesday in hopes of easing tensions.
Pakistan initiated the exchange to talk about Kashmir’s political future--a subject India says is non-negotiable. New Delhi wants only to pursue “confidence building” measures.
India claims all of mostly Muslim Kashmir, while Pakistan advocates a plebiscite to decide whether it should be ruled from New Delhi or Islamabad. The main Kashmir rebel group insists on a fully independent state.
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