Pak may redeploy troops to Kashmir border: Pak envoy to US

New York, Aug 13 (IANS) Not finding enough support from the United States on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has threatened to redeploy its troops from the Afghanistan border to that of Kashmir.

Pakistan's ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed Khan, raised this possibility on Monday while talking to the editorial board of the New York Times.

However, Khan also said that the Afghanistan and Kashmir issues are separate and that he was not attempting to link them.

The US and the Taliban have been engaged in talks for bringing peace in Afghanistan in which Pakistan is required to play a very significant role.

Khan hoped that the American talks with Taliban would succeed and said Pakistan was actively supporting these.

Pakistan has deployed a large force on its western border with Afghanistan to prevent the Taliban from getting safe haven in the area.

"India's crackdown on Kashmir, on Pakistan's eastern border with India, would not have come at a worse time for us", said Khan to the editorial board of New York Times.

He said: "We have our hands full on the western border. If the situation escalates on the eastern border, we will have to undertake redeployments."

Referring to Prime Minister Modi's decision to repeal Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Khan said it has "raised tensions in Pakistan. Pakistan as a punching bag sells in India."

There has been little communication between the two neighbours over the past week and the "crisis is going to get worse", he added.