New Delhi:
As the world mourned the loss of innocent lives in the terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif raked together the “Kashmir issue” with his tragic heels during his meeting with Ankara Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan. At least 26 people were killed and several others were injured when terrorists fired fire in the tourist streets of Pahargam, Kashmir.
Hours after the heinous attack, Sharif thanked Turkey at a joint press conference with Erdogan in Ankara, for his “unwavering support” in Kashmir.
According to a report on the Pakistan-based Express Tribune on Pakistan’s visit to Ankara, he “expressed his gratitude for Turkey’s unwavering support on the Kashmir issue.”
Erdogan said he expressed full support from Turkey for “Pakistan’s efforts to eliminate terrorism.”
Turkey’s support to Pakistan on the Kashmir issue
This is not the first time Turkey has gathered behind Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. In early February, Turkish President Erdogan expanded his support for Pakistan for Kashmir and called for the United Nations dialogue to address the issue during his visit to Islamabad.
At the time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized Erdogan’s remarks and said it had raised strong protests against the Turkish ambassador.
“We reject such unpleasant comments on the eternal issue for India. We have served as a strong protest against the Turkish ambassador. Such unfair statements regarding the integrity and sovereignty of India’s territory are unacceptable.”
He argued that JK is an integral part of India and said that Pakistan’s transnational terrorism policy against India is the biggest threat to people in the Union Territories.
Pahargam terrorist attack
The horror began around 3pm on Tuesday, when tourists enjoyed pony rides and picnics at a roadside eatery in Baisalan Valley, a popular pasture near Pahargam. Suddenly, the terrorists “wearing clothes similar to local police” derived a downhill hill, killing at least 26 people, mostly tourists, and injuring 17 others.
The deaths included 25 Indians and one Nepali national, police said.
It was the worst attack on Indian civilians since the Mumbai shooting in 2008, killing more than 160 people.
There is no official confirmation of the person behind the Pahargam attack, but the Front of Resistance (TRF), a derivative of Pakistan-based Rashkar-e-Tayba, has claimed responsibility for it in a social media post.
Meanwhile, Indian security forces launched a massive manhunt and kicked out the area in search of the terrorists behind the attack.
