Anger, impatience mount in Pakistani Kashmir as Khan makes diplomatic push

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - As Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan prepares to deliver another appeal to the world to address the situation in Kashmir, he faces the risk that rising anger in his country’s portion of the disputed region could spiral into a confrontation with India.

Some people in Pakistan’s portion of Kashmir said thousands of people were preparing to storm the line of control (LOC) - a ceasefire line agreed with India that is one of the most militarized frontiers in the world. Reuters could not independently verify the claims.

But regional tensions have swelled since India stripped its portion of Kashmir of autonomy in August, made mass arrests, limited communications and imposed curfew-like restrictions in some areas to contain a decades-long uprising against New Delhi’s rule.

Khan has appealed to Kashmiris to give him the chance to sway the international community and he is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, but patience appears to be in short supply in Pakistani Kashmir.

“We are all waiting for the United Nations...to see if the world can help us. Otherwise, we will try to break the LOC border,” said Habib Urhman Afaqi, the president of the Jamaat-e-Islami political party for the district of Kotli, near the LOC. He said tens of thousands of men around the region were organizing by word of mouth and social media.