HUMZA Yousaf and former Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar have written to the leaders of India and Pakistan calling for peace.
The former first minister, who is of Pakistani heritage, and former Irish leader, who has Indian heritage, penned a joint letter urging the countries to “resist the pull of confrontation”.
A terrorist attack on non-Muslims in near the town of Pahalgam in the disputed Kashmir region claimed by both India and Pakistan in April has seen tensions flare between the two nuclear powers, with India blaming Pakistan for the attacks. Pakistan rejects the claim.
India bombed Pakistan, claiming to target “terrorist infrastructure” in the Muslim country, with Pakistan saying it had shot down five enemy air force jets and a drone.
At least 26 people have been killed by Indian raids, including two three-year-old girls after a mosque was bombed in Bahawalpur, Punjab.
Yousaf and Varadkar wrote: “We write this letter not only as former political leaders from Scotland and Ireland, but as sons of South Asia: One of us of Pakistani heritage, the other of Indian heritage. We love both these countries, their histories, cultures, and peoples helped to shape who we are, and inspired our commitment to public life.
“It is precisely because of that affection for both countries that we urge both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to exercise restraint, to de-escalate tensions, and resist the pull of confrontation.
“The path of conflict may rouse national pride in the moment—but it diminishes all of us in the long run, with civilians always paying the highest price. While recognising both countries have a right to defend themselves, within the confines of international law, peace, however imperfect, is always more courageous than war.”
They said that their “experience in the UK and Ireland” had shown them that while reconciliation between adversaries “is never easy” the “prize of peace is always worth it”.
They added: “It requires cool heads, moral courage, and leaders who see beyond the immediate pressures of politics to the longer arc of history.
“To the millions of people around the globe – be they in the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, the Gulf and right across the world – who trace their heritage to India and Pakistan, do not let events in South Asia fracture our communities abroad.
“We must resist division and reject hate. Let your solidarity with your country of origin never come at the expense of peace with your neighbours where you live. The ties that bind us – culture, language, food, family, faith – must not become battlegrounds.”
India’s bombing raids came just hours after it was announced that the country had signed a major post-Brexit free trade deal with the UK.
Speaking before PMQs on Wednesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Rising tensions between India and Pakistan will be of serious concern for many across Britain. We are engaging urgently with both countries as well as other international partners, encouraging dialogue, de-escalation and the protection of civilians.”
