[ad_1]
The Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan were to meet this week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The meeting was decided more than a week ago, sparking hope for a move towards a more cordial relationship between the two nuclear weapon enemies, or even new nuclear negotiations. peace.
After all, neighbors have not met at such a high level since 2014.
But in the next 24 hours, the door briefly opened was closed when India canceled the meeting. Pakistan's "evil program" has been unveiled and "the real face" of new Prime Minister Imran Khan has been "revealed to the world," a spokesman said.
Why? Well, part of the reason was a series of stamps.
What do the stamps show?
The stamps carry 20 different images of what Pakistan calls "atrocities in Kashmir occupied by India".
They include images of alleged chemical weapons victims, pellet guns, "fake police encounters" and "braid of milk", scenes of general abuse and images of Kashmiri protests.
A stamp bears a picture of Burhan Wani, a Kashmiri popular activist leader killed in 2016, and describes him as an "icon of freedom".
Wani, who was part of militant group Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed in a shootout with Indian forces in 2016.
His death sparked large-scale protests in the region that are still ongoing.
Another stamp shows a Kashmiri protester, Farooq Ahmed Dar, attached to the front bumper of a military jeep, allegedly as a "human shield" against protesters who throw stones and shots.
A line in the Urdu text to the left of the stamps reads: "Kashmir will become Pakistan".
This contrasts with a 1960 commemorative stamp showing a Pakistani map, Kashmir being presented in a different color and a more neutral line of text saying "Jammu and Kashmir, final status not yet determined".
India and Pakistan have waged two wars for the Himalayan Muslim majority territory, both of which claim total control, but in part control. India accuses Pakistan of harboring and supporting active cross-border activists in Indian-administered Kashmir – a claim refuted by Pakistan.
What was the answer?
India cited the issue of stamps as one of two reasons why it canceled the meeting at the UN.
The other was the killing of an Indian border guard and three Kashmir policemen by suspected militants.
In a statement, a spokesman for the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: "The latest brutal killings of our security agents by Pakistani entities and the recent publication of a series of 20 Pakistan stamps glorifying a terrorist and terrorism confirm that Pakistan does not repair its manners. "
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry responded the same day saying: "By falsely brandishing the scourge of terrorism, India can not conceal its untold crimes against the Kashmiri people nor delegitimize its indigenous struggle for its inalienable right to self-determination. . "
The meeting had been proposed by the newly elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, and had been accepted by India.
The process of "normalization" between the two countries, started in 2010, collapsed in 2014 due to the proliferation of militant attacks in Kashmir under Indian administration.
Media playback is not supported on your device
Who ordered the stamps?
A senior Pakistani post official, who requested anonymity, told the BBC that everyone could offer a commemorative postage stamp.
"Once the Pakistani Post has given its approval, it will have to be approved by the Ministry of Communications and also by the Foreign Ministry if it has an impact on Pakistan's external relations.
But he was reluctant to identify the source of this particular idea.
It is interesting to note that, as acknowledged by Pakistan Post officials, the idea was launched and implemented during the interim government, which took charge of the state's current affairs before the elections won by the PTI party.
The stamps were issued on July 24, one day before the general election and some 25 days before the inauguration of the new Prime Minister. Observers believe the idea must come from state institutions with warmongering relations with India.
The two governments elected since 2008 have both advocated for normalization of ties with India. Both are under direct pressure from the army or political groups suspected of having support from the military intelligence network.
The latest government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has quarreled with the military because of his support for militant networks operating in India and Afghanistan, as revealed in an article in the Dawn newspaper. Sharif has been ousted in what has been considered by many as an unfair trial, described by some as part of a "creeping coup against democracy".
The army has also been accused of "managing" the July elections. He denies all these accusations but critics say that his immense commercial and financial interests rest on the fact of painting India as a mortal enemy.
They say that the stamps were issued at a time when the army dominated the political scene.
How were the stamps sold?
Pakistani philatelists say that commemorative Kashmir postal stamps sold well abroad, with a sheet of 20 stamps sold for nearly $ 6.
In Islamabad, a Pakistani post official said he has sold over 300 sheets in recent days at the official rate of about $ 1.30 a piece.
Only 20,000 sheets have been issued, most of which are already exhausted, after the stamp feud hit the headlines.
