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denverpost.com, Posted Oct 22, 2010
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(AP) — Pakistan called Friday for President Barack Obama to intervene in its long-standing dispute with India over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, the cause of two of the three wars the nuclear-armed rivals have fought.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made the unusually blunt appeal for Obama to seek a resolution of the dispute when he visits India next month, saying he should “redeem the pledge” he made as a candidate.
The conflict over Kashmir has been the main source of friction between India and Pakistan since they won independence from Britain in 1947. Pakistan has frequently sought outside intervention to resolve it but India vehemently opposes such involvement and the United States has traditionally stayed above the fray.
Qureshi expressed astonishment that the U.S. and other major powers had said little about India’s response to the protests.
“People of conscience have protested the use of force against the defenseless people of Kashmir, in particular the targeting of the Kashmiri youth,” he said. “But the Kashmiri mothers are baffled by the deafening silence of the world’s leadership. History has proved that the force of arms cannot suppress the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people.”
India and Pakistan fought two wars for control of Muslim-majority Kashmir, where rebels have sought independence from India or incorporation with neighboring Pakistan.
More than 68,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in Kashmir since fighting began in earnest in 1989.
Indian government forces say they have evacuated hundreds of people after a fierce gunbattle erupted with three suspected Muslim rebels hiding in a village in the Indian portion of Kashmir.
Lt. Col. J.S. Brar, an Indian army spokesman, says soldiers and police cordoned a portion of Maloora, a village on the outskirts of the region’s main city Srinagar, following intelligence that suspected rebels were hiding there.
Brar said Thursday heavy gunfire between the suspected rebels and government forces is continuing.
An Indian Army soldier takes cover after firing at suspected militants during a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Troops evacuated hundreds of people as a fierce gunbattle erupted with three suspected Muslim rebels hiding in a village home in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Thursday, police said. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) #
Protestors run as policemen try to catch them during a protest in Srinagar, India, Friday, Oct. 15, 2010. Indian authorities imposed curfew in some parts of Srinagar fearing protests following a strike call given by separatist leaders. Kashmir has been rocked by protests since last four months which has killed more than hundred people. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
Kashmiri Muslims cover their ears as an improvised explosive device (IED) explodes outside the police control room in Srinagar, India, Monday, Oct. 18, 2010. The IED was successfully diffused by a bomb squad Monday. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) #
Indian paramilitary soldiers patrol a deserted street in Srinagar, India, Friday, Oct. 15, 2010. Indian authorities imposed curfew in some parts of Srinagar fearing protests following a strike call given by separatist leaders. Kashmir has been rocked by protests since last four months which has killed more than a hundred people. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
An Indian policeman gestures the media to move away shortly after an improvised explosive device (IED) was diffused outside a police control room in Srinagar, India, Monday, Oct. 18, 2010. The IED was successfully diffused by a bomb squad Monday. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) #
Indian paramilitary soldiers arrive after an improvised explosive device (IED) was diffused outside a police control room in Srinagar, India, Monday, Oct. 18, 2010. The IED was successfully diffused by a bomb squad Monday. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) #
An unidentified relative of Ghulam Nabi Mir wails during his funeral procession in Pampore, about 20 kilometers (13 miles) south of Srinagar, India, Friday, Oct. 15, 2010. Mir, a local shopkeeper was injured when he was allegedly beaten by security forces last week. He succumbed to injuries at a local hospital, family members said. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
Kashmiris react after Indian paramilitary soldiers broke the door and glass panes of their home during a protest in Srinagar, India, Friday, Oct. 15, 2010. Indian authorities imposed curfew in some parts of Srinagar fearing protests following a strike call given by separatist leaders. Kashmir has been rocked by protests since last four months which has killed more than hundred people. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
Relatives and neighbors bury the body of Ghulam Nabi Mir in Pampore, about 20 kilometers (13 miles) south of Srinagar, India, Friday, Oct. 15, 2010. Mir, a local shopkeeper, was injured when he was allegedly beaten by security forces last week. He succumbed to injuries at a local hospital, family members said. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
An Indian Army soldier carries a child to safety during a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Troops evacuated hundreds of people as a fierce gunbattle erupted with three suspected Muslim rebels hiding in a village home in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Thursday, police said. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) #
An Indian police man checks identity card of a Kashmiri Muslim at a temporary check post during a strike in Srinagar, India, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010. Kashmir has been engulfed by strikes and street protests by demonstrators demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan. Businesses have lost millions of dollars and schools have been forced to shut down. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
An Indian soldier stands guard as Kashmiri civilians move to safety during a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Troops evacuated hundreds of people as a fierce gunbattle erupted with three suspected Muslim rebels hiding in a village home in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Thursday, police said. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) #
An Indian Army soldier fires at suspected militants as a dog rushes to safety during a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Troops evacuated hundreds of people as a fierce gunbattle erupted with three suspected Muslim rebels hiding in a village home in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Thursday, police said. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) #
A Kashmiri woman shouts as she moves along with her children to a safer place during a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Troops evacuated hundreds of people as a fierce gunbattle erupted with three suspected Muslim rebels hiding in a village home in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Thursday, police said. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) #
An Indian Army soldier runs to take position during a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Troops evacuated hundreds of people as a fierce gunbattle erupted with three suspected Muslim rebels hiding in a village home in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Thursday, police said. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) #
An Indian Army soldier gestures as they cordon off the area during a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Troops evacuated hundreds of people as a fierce gunbattle erupted with three suspected Muslim rebels hiding in a village home in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Thursday, police said. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) #
An Indian Army soldier gestures towards camera during a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Troops evacuated hundreds of people as a fierce gunbattle erupted with three suspected Muslim rebels hiding in a village home in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Thursday, police said. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) #
Kashmiri muslims carry a generator during a search through the rubble of a damaged house after a gunbattle between suspected militants and Indian troops in Maloora, on the outskirts of Srinagar on October 22, 2010. Three militants slain in a gunbattle in Indian Kashmir were on a suicide mission to attack Indian military bases, a rebel group said, adding three other guerrillas escaped. Two of the militants from the hardline Pakistan-based rebel group Jaish-e-Mohammed were killed during a fierce gunbattle on the outskirts of Indian Kashmir summer capital Srinagar. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
Kashmiri muslims search through the rubble of their damaged house after a gunbattle between suspected militants and Indian troops in Maloora, on the outskirts of Srinagar on October 22, 2010. Three militants slain in a gunbattle in Indian Kashmir were on a suicide mission to attack Indian military bases, a rebel group said, adding three other guerrillas escaped. Two of the militants from the hardline Pakistan-based rebel group Jaish-e-Mohammed were killed during a fierce gunbattle on the outskirts of Indian Kashmir summer capital Srinagar. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
Relatives of wounded Mohammad Yousaf carry him on a stretcher at a local hospital in Srinagar, India, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010. Yousaf was wounded inside the compound of his house when police and paramilitary soldiers fired at group of protesters in Baramullah town, family members alleged. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
Kashmiri women console another inside their partially damaged house after a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Friday, Oct. 22, 2010. Residents in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir Friday alleged Indian troops of stealing valuables from their houses a day after army said troops killed three suspected rebels in a nine-hour fighting in a village. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
An Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard on an empty street during curfew hours in Srinagar on October 19, 2010. Muslim-majority Kashmir has experienced rolling curfews and strikes since June 11, when a 17-year-old student was killed by a police teargas shell. Since then, more than 110 protesters and bystanders have died in the region. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
Indian soldiers take positions during an encounter as separatist militants and soldiers fight a gunbattle in Maloora, a residential area of Srinagar, on October 21, 2010. Soldiers shot dead two militants during a gunbattle October 21 in a residential area of Srinagar, the main city in Indian Kashmir, which has been under regular curfews for months. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
Indian Army soldiers watch from a distance as their colleagues fight with suspected militants, near the site of a gun battle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Indian troops killed two suspected rebels in a nine-hour gun battle in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Thursday, police said.(AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
Indian policemen take position among chillies being dried on top of a residence as separatist militants and soldiers fight a gunbattle in Maloora, a residential area of Srinagar, on October 21, 2010. Soldiers shot dead two militants during a gunbattle October 21 in a residential area of Srinagar, the main city in Indian Kashmir, which has been under regular curfews for months. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
Kashmiri people look at a damaged house after a gunbattle between suspected militants and Indian troops in Maloora, on the outskirts of Srinagar on October 22, 2010. Three militants slain in a gunbattle in Indian Kashmir were on a suicide mission to attack Indian military bases, a rebel group said, adding three other guerrillas escaped. Two of the militants from the hardline Pakistan-based rebel group Jaish-e-Mohammed were killed during a fierce gunbattle on the outskirts of Indian Kashmir summer capital Srinagar. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
Indian Army soldiers share a light moment during a gun battle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Indian troops killed two suspected rebels in a nine-hour gunbattle in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Thursday, police said. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
An Indian Army soldier checks his ammunition before joining his colleagues to fight with suspected militants near the site of a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Indian troops killed two suspected rebels in a nine-hour gunbattle in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Thursday, police said. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
Indian Army soldiers look from inside of an armored vehicle near the site of a gun battle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Indian troops killed two suspected rebels in a nine-hour gun battle in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Thursday, police said. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
Kashmiri people look at a damaged house after a gunbattle between suspected militants and Indian troops in Maloora, on the outskirts of Srinagar on October 22, 2010. Three militants slain in a gunbattle in Indian Kashmir were on a suicide mission to attack Indian military bases, a rebel group said, adding three other guerrillas escaped. Two of the militants from the hardline Pakistan-based rebel group Jaish-e-Mohammed were killed during a fierce gunbattle on the outskirts of Indian Kashmir summer capital Srinagar. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
Indian soldiers evacuate a Kashmiri family as separatist militants and soldiers fight a gunbattle in Maloora, a residential area of Srinagar, on October 21, 2010. Soldiers shot dead two militants during a gunbattle October 21 in a residential area of Srinagar, the main city in Indian Kashmir, which has been under regular curfews for months. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
Paramilitary soldiers are dressed for wet weather as they patrol a hilly terrain, a day after a gun battle in the region, in Pulwama, India, Friday, Oct. 22, 2010. The Indian Army said troops killed three suspected rebels in a nine-hour battle in a village on the outskirts of Srinagar. (AP Photo) ** INDIA OUT ** #
An Indian soldier takes position on top of a vehicle as separatist militants and soldiers fight a gunbattle in Maloora, a residential area of Srinagar, on October 21, 2010. Soldiers shot dead two militants during a gunbattle October 21 in a residential area of Srinagar, the main city in Indian Kashmir, which has been under regular curfews for months. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
Kashmiri residents are held back from entering an area as separatist militants and soldiers fight a gunbattle in Maloora, a residential area of Srinagar, on October 21, 2010. Soldiers shot dead two militants during a gunbattle October 21 in a residential area of Srinagar, the main city in Indian Kashmir, which has been under regular curfews for months. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
Kashmiris salvage their belongings from the debris of a house after a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Friday, Oct. 22, 2010. Residents in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir Friday alleged Indian troops of stealing valuables from their houses a day after army said troops killed three suspected rebels in a nine-hour fighting in a village. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
Indian Army soldiers take cover behind a wall as they try to storm a house where suspected militants were hiding during a gun battle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Indian troops killed two suspected rebels in a nine-hour gun battle in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Thursday, police said.(AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
An Indian Army soldier checks his gun before joining his colleagues to fight with suspected militants near the site of a gun battle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Indian troops killed two suspected rebels in a nine-hour gun battle in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Thursday, police said.(AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
A Kashmiri woman wails inside her partially damaged house after a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Friday, Oct. 22, 2010. Residents in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir Friday alleged Indian troops of stealing valuables from their houses a day after army said troops killed three suspected rebels in a nine-hour fighting in a village. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
Indian Army soldiers takes cover behind a wall as they try to storm a house where suspected militants were hiding during a gun battle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Indian troops killed two suspected rebels in a nine-hour gun battle in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Thursday, police said. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
Kashmiri Muslim women salvage their belongings from the debris of a house after a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Friday, Oct. 22, 2010. Residents in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir Friday alleged Indian troops of stealing valuables from their houses a day after army said troops killed three suspected rebels in a nine-hour fighting in a village. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
Smoke billows following an explosion as separatist militants and soldiers fight a gunbattle in Maloora, a residential area of Srinagar, on October 21, 2010. Soldiers shot dead two militants during a gunbattle October 21 in a residential area of Srinagar, the main city in Indian Kashmir, which has been under regular curfews for months. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
An Indian Army soldier gestures to a civilian to move to safety during a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Troops evacuated hundreds of people as a fierce gunbattle erupted with three suspected Muslim rebels hiding in a village home in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Thursday, police said. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) #
Empty bullet cartridge remain near the debris of a house after a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Friday, Oct. 22, 2010. Residents in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir Friday alleged Indian troops of stealing valuables from their houses a day after army said troops killed three suspected rebels in a nine-hour fighting in a village. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
Indian Army soldiers and a policeman take position behind a wall during a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. Troops evacuated hundreds of people as a fierce gunbattle erupted with three suspected Muslim rebels hiding in a village home in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Thursday, police said. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) #
A Kashmiri family react as they stand inside their partially damaged house after a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Friday, Oct. 22, 2010. Residents in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir Friday alleged Indian troops of stealing valuables from their houses a day after army said troops killed three suspected rebels in a nine-hour fighting in a village. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
Indian army soldiers and policeman fire towards Muslim militants during an encounter as separatist militants and soldiers fought a gunbattle in Maloora, a residential area of Srinagar, the main city in Indian Kashmir which has been under regular curfews for months, on October 21, 2010. Indian troops and counter-insurgency police surrounded a house where the militants were holed up early in the morning in the suburbs of the city. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
Indian army soldiers and policemen open fire during an encounter as separatist militants and soldiers fought a gunbattle in Maloora, a residential area of Srinagar, the main city in Indian Kashmir which has been under regular curfews for months, on October 21, 2010. Indian troops and counter-insurgency police surrounded a house where the militants were holed up early in the morning in the suburbs of the city. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
Indian army soldiers and policemen open fire during an encounter as separatist militants and soldiers fought a gunbattle in Maloora, a residential area of Srinagar, the main city in Indian Kashmir which has been under regular curfews for months, on October 21, 2010. Indian troops and counter-insurgency police surrounded a house where the militants were holed up early in the morning in the suburbs of the city. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
Indian army soldiers and a policeman open fire during an encounter as separatist militants and soldiers fought a gunbattle in Maloora, a residential area of Srinagar, the main city in Indian Kashmir which has been under regular curfews for months, on October 21, 2010. Indian troops and counter-insurgency police surrounded a house where the militants were holed up early in the morning in the suburbs of the city. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
A Kashmiri boy stands on the debris of a house after a gunbattle in the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Friday, Oct. 22, 2010. Residents in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir Friday alleged Indian troops of stealing valuables from their houses a day after army said troops killed three suspected rebels in a nine-hour fighting in a village. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
Indian army soldiers evacuate Kashmiri Muslims during an encounter as separatist militants and soldiers fought a gunbattle in Maloora, a residential area of Srinagar, the main city in Indian Kashmir which has been under regular curfews for months, on October 21, 2010. Indian troops and counter-insurgency police surrounded a house where the militants were holed up early in the morning in the suburbs of the city. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
A Kashmiri Muslim walks with his son on a road empty but for two cows during a curfew in downtown Srinagar on October 15, 2010. Kashmir has been under rolling curfews and strikes since early June, when a 17-year-old student was killed by a police teargas shell. Since then, a total of 110 protesters and bystanders have died in the region. AFP PHOTO / Sajjad HUSSAIN (Photo credit should read SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP/Getty Images) #
Indian police take part in a ceremony to mark the Police Commemoration Day at the Police Training Centre in Zewan on the outskirts of Srinagar on October 21,2010. The annual Police Commemoration Day is being observed on October 21 to remember and pay respect to policemen and security personnel killed in the troubled Kashmir region. TOPSHOTS / AFP PHOTO / Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
Relatives and neighbors shout slogans as they carry the coffin of Ghulam Nabi Mir during his funeral procession in Pampore, about 20 kilometers (13 miles) south of Srinagar, India, Friday, Oct. 15, 2010. Mir, a local shopkeeper, was injured when he was allegedly beaten by security forces last week. He succumbed to injuries at a local hospital, family members said. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
Kashmiri Muslims pray by the body of Ghulam Nabi Mir during his funeral procession in Pampore, about 20 kilometers (13 miles) south of Srinagar, India, Friday, Oct. 15, 2010. Mir, a local shopkeeper, was injured when he was allegedly beaten by security forces last week. He succumbed to injuries at a local hospital, family members said. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
An Indian paramilitary soldier asks motorists to show their curfew pass during a curfew in Srinagar, India, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2010. The Muslim majority Kashmir region is divided between mainly Hindu India and mainly Muslim Pakistan and claimed by both countries in its entirety. Since June, Indian-controlled Kashmir has been engulfed by street protests demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan. At least 108 people have been killed in the subsequent crackdown by security forces. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) #
Members of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (JKHCBA) shout pro-freedom and anti-Indian slogans during a protest in Srinagar on October 14, 2010. Dozens of lawyers protested outside the court complex demanding the release of their president and general secretary who has been detained under the public safety act during the recent uprising against Indian rule in which over a hundred protesters and bystanders have been killed. AFP PHOTO/Rouf BHAT (Photo credit should read ROUF BHAT/AFP/Getty Images) #
Pakistani veiled female activists of the hardline party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) wearing ribbons on their heads with a slogan against India hold a protest rally in Islamabad on October 11, 2010 against the situation in India-administered Kashmir. Indian-ruled Kashmir has been hit by a wave of protests since June 11, when a 17-year old student was killed by a police teargas shell. Since then Indian security forces have been accused of killing a total of 110 people, mostly teenagers and students. AFP PHOTO/ AAMIR QURESHI (Photo credit should read AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images) #
Kashmiri villagers stand on the debris of a house after a gunbattle on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Friday, Oct. 22, 2010. Residents in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir Friday alleged Indian troops of stealing valuables from their houses a day after army said troops killed three suspected rebels in a nine-hour fighting in a village. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) #
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