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Summary
Several hundred angry Pakistanis demonstrated outside Downing Street in London on Wednesday, over Prime Minister David Cameron's remarks on how Pakistan is dealing with terrorism and his failure to address the problems in Kashmir. Waving placards reading David Cameron, why are you blind? they protested at what they called Cameron's naive diplomacy during a recent trip to India. They accused him of not paying enough attention to escalating violence in Kashmir and warned that until that dispute with India is resolved, Afghanistan's conflict will never be solved. Cameron's remarks made last month in Bangalore that Pakistan must not look both ways in dealing with militants have caused deep resentment and angered Pakistanis who feel their people are suffering greatly in Kashmir at the hands of the Indian army and that the world is ignoring their plight. The London protest was organised by Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, President of the Peoples Muslim League in Azad Kashmir, who is visiting the UK. He said it is Britain's duty to try to calm escalating tensions in Kashmir. Great Britain is a country who could mediate between India and Pakistan. They have 200 years in that region, they know the psyche, they know the people, they know everything. But I think at this time they have just shattered our hopes, he said. Others at the protest said the British Prime Minister should have highlighted atrocities in the Kashmir Valley rather than blaming Pakistan whose armed forces and people have suffered the fight against terrorism. The British Prime Minister could not see the human violation in Kashmir, which is atrocities done by Indian forces but he keeps blaming Pakistan. Whereas the whole world knows Pakistan has sacrificed so much because of the terrorism, said Hamed Pothi, a member of the Kashmir Council, who was also visiting the UK. The diplomatic row between Britain and Pakistan over its approach to militants will hurt intelligence sharing, though in the longer term the ties between the two countries are too tight for it to cause lasting damage. The Kashmiri Pakistanis in London feared Cameron's remarks point to a tilt towards India as his government seeks business opportunities in expanding emerging markets. Britain in the past has tried to avoid being seen to take sides, pressing Pakistan to tackle militants while quietly encouraging India to hold talks over Kashmir. And though very much a junior partner to the United States, it has always played a strong role in South Asian diplomacy.
