NEW DELHI: India is committed to efforts to develop its restive territory of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, accusing neighbour Pakistan of seeking to destroy livelihoods there with April’s deadly attack on tourists.
He was speaking on his first visit to the Himalayan region since attackers targeted Hindu tourists in the popular Pahalgam area, killing 26 men, triggering hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours that ended in a ceasefire last month. “The atmosphere of development that emerged in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir will not be hindered by the attack… I will not let development stop here,” Mr Modi said in remarks after inaugurating infrastructure projects.
Key among these was a US$5 billion (S$6.4 billion) rail link between the IIOJK Kashmir Valley and the rest of India, which has been more than 40 years in the making and features the world’s highest railway arch bridge.
Others include highways, city roads and a new medical college.
India has accused Pakistan of backing the April attack, a claim denied by Islamabad, and they engaged in four days of fierce fighting in May before agreeing to a ceasefire. Pakistan aimed to disrupt the livelihoods of the poor in IIOJK, who rely heavily on tourism, Mr Modi said, adding that he would face down any obstacle to regional development.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry rejected Mr Modi’s remarks on June 6 and said it remained steadfast in its “principled support” for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
“Claims of development… ring hollow against the backdrop of an unprecedented military presence, suppression of fundamental freedoms, arbitrary arrests, and a concerted effort to alter the region’s demography in violation of international law,” it said.
In May, Islamabad said a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute was essential to ensure lasting peace in the region, known for its snow-capped mountains, scenic lakes, lush meadows and tulip gardens.
The region, which drew more than 3 million visitors in 2024, is at the heart of the hostility between the old foes, both of which claim it in full, but rule it in part and have fought two of their three wars over it.
India also accuses Pakistan of supporting Islamist militants battling security forces in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, but Islamabad denies the accusation.
Trains run in the IIOJK Kashmir Valley but the new link is its first to the wider Indian railway network. Apart from boosting the regional economy, it is expected to help revive tourism, which plummeted after the April attack.
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