Iran Leader Urges India to Adopt ‘Fair’ Policy on Kashmir

“We have very good relations with the Indian government, but the Indian government is expected to adopt a fair policy towards the decent people of Kashmir,” Ayatollah Khamenei said on Wednesday.

He made the remarks in a meeting with President Hassan Rouhani and members of his cabinet in Tehran.

The Leader also urged that the Muslim people of Kashmir are not bullied anymore.

He further referred to the United Kingdom’s mischief as the root cause of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir region and the dispute between India and Pakistan over the issue.

When leaving the Indian Subcontinent, the Leader said, “the Britons intentionally left this wound in this region so that the conflict would continue in Kashmir.”

Tensions in Jammu and Kashmir region have escalated after India scrapped the special status of its portion of Kashmir on August 5. New Delhi claimed that the decision was necessary for Kashmir’s economic development and to stop “terrorism.”

Pakistan, which disputes Kashmir with India, then expelled the Indian ambassador, halted bilateral trade, and suspended cross-border transport services.

Kashmir is divided between India, which rules the populous Kashmir Valley and the Hindu-dominated region around Jammu city, and Pakistan, which controls a piece of territory in the west.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars over the territory.