Imran Khan questions world's 'silence' on Kashmir

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday questioned the international community's "silence" on the Kashmir situation and warned that "if ethnic cleansing of Muslims takes place in the region, there would be severe repercussions".

Pakistan observed India's Independence Day on Thursday as "Black Day" amid heightened tensions between the two neighbours following New Delhi's move to scrap Article 370 granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

"In Indian-Occupied Kashmir, 12 days of curfew, presence of extra troops in an already heavily militarised occupied territory... complete communication blackout with the example of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi's earlier ethnic cleansing of Muslims in Gujarat," the cricketer-turned-politician wrote on Twitter.

"Will (the) world silently witness another Srebrenica-type massacre and ethnic cleansing of Muslims in IoK," he asked. "I want to warn the international community that if it allows this to happen, it will have severe repercussions and reactions in the Muslim world, setting off radicalisation and cycles of violence."

On Wednesday, Khan celebrated Pakistan's Independence Day in "Azad Jammu and Kashmir" (AJK) to express "solidarity with the Kashmiris".

Addressing a special session of the AJK Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad, Khan had said that any "miscalculation" on the part of New Delhi would elicit a "tit-for-tat" response from Islamabad.

"The Pakistan Army is battle-hardened and it is fully ready to respond to any violation by India. The entire nation is ready and stands alongside its armed forces," Khan had said.

( With inputs from IANS )