<p>South Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia have requested owners of 484,000 recalled vehicles in the United States to park outside due to fire risk.</p>

<p>They announced separate US recalls because a Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire. Dealers will install a new fuse for the circuit board to address the fire risks.</p>

<p>The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) urged owners to follow the automakers advise, saying "the manufacturers believe an electrical component in the anti-lock brake system may experience an internal electrical short circuit that could increase the risk of fire both while the vehicle is being driven or parked."</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-ukraine-direct-hyundai-sides-with-kashmiri-separatists-451349/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The recalls covers 126,747 Kia vehicles and includes models 2014-2016 Kia Sportage, 2016-2018 Kia K900. Meanwhile, in case of Hyundai 2016-2018 Santa Fe vehicles.</p>

<p>Previously, a record $210 million civil penalty was imposed on the Korean automakers for failure to recall vehicles for engine issues in a timely fashion in 2020.</p>

<p>It comes as both the companies are facing a backlash as their Pakistan units supported Pakistan engineered ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-takes-tough-stand-over-hyundai-pakistans-post-on-kashmir-summons-south-korean-envoy-451434" hreflang="en">India takes tough stand over Hyundai Pakistan's post on Kashmir, summons South Korean envoy</a></strong></p>

<p>India said Tuesday that its ambassador to South Korea had immediately sought an explanation from Hyundai at its Seoul headquarters.</p>

<p>Foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar also spoke with his South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-yong to convey "strong displeasure" over the phone, according to an Indian readout of the discussion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chung "conveyed that they regretted the offence caused to the people and Government of India by the social media post," ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="und">Kia India Statement: <a href="https://t.co/FKiUI2PXxt">pic.twitter.com/FKiUI2PXxt</a></p>
— Kia India (@KiaInd) <a href="https://twitter.com/KiaInd/status/1491014612275576836?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Hyundai issued a statement to distance itself from the Twitter account, which it said was operated by a company partner.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We deeply regret any offense caused to the people of India by this unofficial social media activity," it said on Tuesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hyundai is India's second-largest car seller after Maruti Suzuki, selling close to half a million vehicles in the country in the last fiscal year and exporting over a million units, making it India's largest car exporter.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


South Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia have requested owners of 484,000 recalled vehicles in the United States to park outside due to fire risk. They announced separate US recalls because a Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.

South Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia have requested owners of 484,000 recalled vehicles in the United States to park outside due to fire risk. They announced separate US recalls because a Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire. Dealers will install a new fuse for the circuit board to address the fire risks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) urged owners to follow the automakers advise, saying "the manufacturers believe an electrical component in the anti-lock brake system may experience an internal electrical short circuit that could increase the risk of fire both while the vehicle is being driven or parked." The recalls covers 126,747 Kia vehicles and includes models 2014-2016 Kia Sportage, 2016-2018 Kia K900. Meanwhile, in case of Hyundai 2016-2018 Santa Fe vehicles. Previously, a record $210 million civil penalty was imposed on the Korean automakers for failure to recall vehicles for engine issues in a timely fashion in 2020. It comes as both the companies are facing a backlash as their Pakistan units supported Pakistan engineered ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’. Also read | India takes tough stand over Hyundai Pakistan's post on Kashmir, summons South Korean envoy India said Tuesday that its ambassador to South Korea had immediately sought an explanation from Hyundai at its Seoul headquarters. Foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar also spoke with his South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-yong to convey "strong displeasure" over the phone, according to an Indian readout of the discussion. Chung "conveyed that they regretted the offence caused to the people and Government of India by the social media post," ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a statement. Kia India Statement: pic.twitter.com/FKiUI2PXxt — Kia India (@KiaInd) February 8, 2022 × Hyundai issued a statement to distance itself from the Twitter account, which it said was operated by a company partner. "We deeply regret any offense caused to the people of India by this unofficial social media activity," it said on Tuesday. Hyundai is India's second-largest car seller after Maruti Suzuki, selling close to half a million vehicles in the country in the last fiscal year and exporting over a million units, making it India's largest car exporter. (With inputs from agencies)

Hyundai and Kia ask vehicle owners to park outside due to fire risk

<p>India on Tuesday summoned the South Korean envoy over a social media post of Hyundai’s Pakistan unit supporting Pakistan engineered ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’.</p>

<p>In a statement, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that India’s “strong displeasure on the unacceptable social media post” by Hyundai Pakistan was expressed to the Indian Ambassador in Seoul.</p>

<p>“Ambassador of Republic of Korea was summoned by MEA yesterday. Strong displeasure of government on unacceptable social media post by Hyundai Pakistan was conveyed to him,” the MEA said in a statement.</p>

<p>The MEA said that it welcomes investments by foreign companies in various sectors, but it also expected them to refrain from making misleading comments on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar received a call from South Korea's foreign minister Chung Eui-yong, where the controversial matter was discussed.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Received a call from ROK FM Chung Eui-yong today. Discussed bilateral and multilateral issues as also the Hyundai matter.</p>
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1490975347906547713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Meanwhile, car manufacturer Hyundai said it regrets the offence caused to Indians due to an 'unauthorised'&nbsp;tweet from the account of its Pakistan partner.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/kfc-pakistan-post-on-kashmir-starts-hyundai-like-controversy-451266">Now, did KFC just join Pakistan's Kashmir bandwagon after Hyundai and Kia?</a></p>

<p>“As a business policy, Hyundai Motor Company does not comment on political or religious issues in any specific region. We deeply regret any offence caused to the people of India by this unofficial social media activity,” Hyundai said in a Twitter post on Tuesday.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Is Pakistan pushing corporates to peddle its anti-India agenda?</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/is-pakistan-pushing-corporates-to-peddle-its-anti-india-agenda-451415/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Hyundai has been facing calls for a boycott by hundreds of social media users in India over the Kashmir post.</p>

<p>The social media users said the company must apologise for being insensitive to India’s position on the decades-old dispute over Kashmir.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Saturday, Hyundai Pakistan's social media handles shared posts in solidarity with the "Kashmiri brothers" in their "struggle for freedom". The social media posts were later removed.</p>

<p>Pakistan observes February 5 as ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’ to show its support for the separatist movement in Kashmir.</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>


India on Tuesday summoned the South Korean envoy over a social media post of Hyundai’s Pakistan unit supporting Pakistan engineered ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’. In a statement, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that India’s “strong displeasure on the unacceptable social media post” by Hyundai Pakistan was expressed to the Indian Ambassador in Seoul.

India on Tuesday summoned the South Korean envoy over a social media post of Hyundai’s Pakistan unit supporting Pakistan engineered ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’. In a statement, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that India’s “strong displeasure on the unacceptable social media post” by Hyundai Pakistan was expressed to the Indian Ambassador in Seoul. “Ambassador of Republic of Korea was summoned by MEA yesterday. Strong displeasure of government on unacceptable social media post by Hyundai Pakistan was conveyed to him,” the MEA said in a statement. The MEA said that it welcomes investments by foreign companies in various sectors, but it also expected them to refrain from making misleading comments on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Earlier in the day, India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar received a call from South Korea's foreign minister Chung Eui-yong, where the controversial matter was discussed. Received a call from ROK FM Chung Eui-yong today. Discussed bilateral and multilateral issues as also the Hyundai matter. — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 8, 2022 × Meanwhile, car manufacturer Hyundai said it regrets the offence caused to Indians due to an 'unauthorised' tweet from the account of its Pakistan partner. Also read | Now, did KFC just join Pakistan's Kashmir bandwagon after Hyundai and Kia? “As a business policy, Hyundai Motor Company does not comment on political or religious issues in any specific region. We deeply regret any offence caused to the people of India by this unofficial social media activity,” Hyundai said in a Twitter post on Tuesday. Watch | Is Pakistan pushing corporates to peddle its anti-India agenda? Hyundai has been facing calls for a boycott by hundreds of social media users in India over the Kashmir post. The social media users said the company must apologise for being insensitive to India’s position on the decades-old dispute over Kashmir. On Saturday, Hyundai Pakistan's social media handles shared posts in solidarity with the "Kashmiri brothers" in their "struggle for freedom". The social media posts were later removed. Pakistan observes February 5 as ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’ to show its support for the separatist movement in Kashmir. (With inputs from agencies)

India takes tough stand over Hyundai Pakistan's post on Kashmir, summons South Korean envoy

<p>After KFC created a social media storm over its Kashmir tweet, fast food giant Pizza Hut also got into the act and posted a message on Instagram which said: "We stand with you" on Kashmir solidarity day.</p>

<p><img alt="Pizza" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0dfcff8f-7fea-4552-8f8a-7269f6be1679" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Pizza1.JPG" /></p>

<p>The&nbsp;purported post by Pizza Hut has since been deleted. KFC had also deleted its tweet on Kashmir. In a similar move, Hyundai and&nbsp;Kia had also posted tweets on Kashmir.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Is Pakistan pushing corporates to peddle its anti-India agenda?</strong></p>

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<p>Although the Pizza Hut post was from a verified account, however, it is unclear if it is directly handled by the US multinational company.&nbsp;Pizza Hut's move received huge backlash in India.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is absolutely bizarre and unlikely of big corporations. Has the government or state sponsored terror group put pressure on them? Global corporations should learn from this incident and condemn <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistan</a> for this state orchestrated campaign.<br />
KFC Hyundai &amp; Pizza Hut 👎 <a href="https://t.co/NuQbkbFyXt">https://t.co/NuQbkbFyXt</a></p>
— Sanya Dhillon (@DhillonSanya) <a href="https://twitter.com/DhillonSanya/status/1490749181379891201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Shame on you pizza hut and KFC You earn money in India and support Pakistan. Pizz hut and KFC Global apologize for this ।😡😡😡😡😡😡<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottKFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottKFC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/boycottpizzahut?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#boycottpizzahut</a><br />
Inn logo ka show room destroy kr do। <a href="https://t.co/HhAw6uMFF8">pic.twitter.com/HhAw6uMFF8</a></p>
— Vinaybahadursingh987 (@Vinaybahadursi6) <a href="https://twitter.com/Vinaybahadursi6/status/1490685226900619265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>KFC in a controversial tweet on February 5 loudly proclaimed: "Kashmir Belongs to the Kashmiris". "You never left our thoughts and we hope that the coming years bring peace to you!,&nbsp;it said. The company later moved to delete the post as KFC India apologised without naming Pakistan.</p>

<p>"We deeply apologise for a post that was published on some KFC social media channels outside the country. We honour and respect India, and remain steadfast in our commitment to serving all Indians with pride," KFC said in a tweet.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/kfc-pakistan-post-on-kashmir-starts-hyundai-like-controversy-451266">Also Read:&nbsp;Now, did KFC just join Pakistan's Kashmir bandwagon after Hyundai and Kia?</a></p>

<p>Hyundai India was also quick to get into damage control. In a post, it said: "It is clearly against Hyundai Motor's policy that the independently-owned distributor in Pakistan made unauthorised Kashmir-related social media posts from their own accounts."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="in">Hyundai Motor statement:<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hyundai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hyundai</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HyundaiIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HyundaiIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ir5JzjS2XP">pic.twitter.com/Ir5JzjS2XP</a></p>
— Hyundai India (@HyundaiIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/HyundaiIndia/status/1490896717054902273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>The company said it made the distributer aware about the "inappropriateness of the action" and took steps to remove the social media post.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/say-we-are-sorry-hyundai-kia-india-caught-in-twitter-storm-451205">Also Read |&nbsp;'Say we are sorry': Hyundai, Kia India caught in Twitter storm</a></p>

<p>"Our subsidiary, Hyundai Motor India is not associated with the distributor in Pakistan," it claimed.</p>

<p>However, the damage was already done as it faced backlash from Indians on social media.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cars Sold by Hyundai Motors in 2021<br />
<br />
India - 505,000<br />
Pakistan - 8000<br />
<br />
Yet <a href="https://twitter.com/Hyundai_Global?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Hyundai_Global</a> chose to needle India via its Pakistani Handle. Either they are very stupid and lack business sense or they have hired a very incompetent PR team which led to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottHyundai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottHyundai</a> disaster <a href="https://t.co/jProIRNqYi">pic.twitter.com/jProIRNqYi</a></p>
— Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree) <a href="https://twitter.com/rishibagree/status/1490273099371380737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I booked <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hyundai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hyundai</a> Verna a month ago &amp; it was due to be deliver this month but after seeing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HyundaiPakistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HyundaiPakistan</a> post, supporting separatism in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kashmir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kashmir</a>,India, cancelled the Verna &amp; called the Honda outlet and taken the delivery of Honda City today itself.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottHyundai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottHyundai</a>, thats it! <a href="https://t.co/Jmqw73NvlN">pic.twitter.com/Jmqw73NvlN</a></p>
— CA Ashutosh Soni (@CA_AshutoshSoni) <a href="https://twitter.com/CA_AshutoshSoni/status/1490337131969282048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Convinced a friend to Buy Mahindra Thar instead of Hyundai Elantra.</p>
— Akshit Singh 🇮🇳 (@IndianSinghh) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndianSinghh/status/1490601564033060868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


After KFC created a social media storm over its Kashmir tweet, fast food giant Pizza Hut also got into the act and posted a message on Instagram which said: "We stand with you" on Kashmir solidarity day.

After KFC created a social media storm over its Kashmir tweet, fast food giant Pizza Hut also got into the act and posted a message on Instagram which said: "We stand with you" on Kashmir solidarity day. The purported post by Pizza Hut has since been deleted. KFC had also deleted its tweet on Kashmir. In a similar move, Hyundai and Kia had also posted tweets on Kashmir. Watch: Is Pakistan pushing corporates to peddle its anti-India agenda? Although the Pizza Hut post was from a verified account, however, it is unclear if it is directly handled by the US multinational company. Pizza Hut's move received huge backlash in India. This is absolutely bizarre and unlikely of big corporations. Has the government or state sponsored terror group put pressure on them? Global corporations should learn from this incident and condemn #Pakistan for this state orchestrated campaign. KFC Hyundai & Pizza Hut 👎 https://t.co/NuQbkbFyXt — Sanya Dhillon (@DhillonSanya) February 7, 2022 × Shame on you pizza hut and KFC You earn money in India and support Pakistan. Pizz hut and KFC Global apologize for this ।😡😡😡😡😡😡#BoycottKFC #boycottpizzahut Inn logo ka show room destroy kr do। pic.twitter.com/HhAw6uMFF8 — Vinaybahadursingh987 (@Vinaybahadursi6) February 7, 2022 × KFC in a controversial tweet on February 5 loudly proclaimed: "Kashmir Belongs to the Kashmiris". "You never left our thoughts and we hope that the coming years bring peace to you!, it said. The company later moved to delete the post as KFC India apologised without naming Pakistan. "We deeply apologise for a post that was published on some KFC social media channels outside the country. We honour and respect India, and remain steadfast in our commitment to serving all Indians with pride," KFC said in a tweet. Also Read: Now, did KFC just join Pakistan's Kashmir bandwagon after Hyundai and Kia? Hyundai India was also quick to get into damage control. In a post, it said: "It is clearly against Hyundai Motor's policy that the independently-owned distributor in Pakistan made unauthorised Kashmir-related social media posts from their own accounts." Hyundai Motor statement:#Hyundai #HyundaiIndia pic.twitter.com/Ir5JzjS2XP — Hyundai India (@HyundaiIndia) February 8, 2022 × The company said it made the distributer aware about the "inappropriateness of the action" and took steps to remove the social media post. Also Read | 'Say we are sorry': Hyundai, Kia India caught in Twitter storm "Our subsidiary, Hyundai Motor India is not associated with the distributor in Pakistan," it claimed. However, the damage was already done as it faced backlash from Indians on social media. Cars Sold by Hyundai Motors in 2021 India - 505,000 Pakistan - 8000 Yet @Hyundai_Global chose to needle India via its Pakistani Handle. Either they are very stupid and lack business sense or they have hired a very incompetent PR team which led to #BoycottHyundai disaster pic.twitter.com/jProIRNqYi — Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree) February 6, 2022 × I booked #Hyundai Verna a month ago & it was due to be deliver this month but after seeing #HyundaiPakistan post, supporting separatism in #Kashmir,India, cancelled the Verna & called the Honda outlet and taken the delivery of Honda City today itself. #BoycottHyundai, thats it! pic.twitter.com/Jmqw73NvlN — CA Ashutosh Soni (@CA_AshutoshSoni) February 6, 2022 × Convinced a friend to Buy Mahindra Thar instead of Hyundai Elantra. — Akshit Singh 🇮🇳 (@IndianSinghh) February 7, 2022 ×

'Shame on you': Netizens explode after Pizza Hut joins KFC, Hyundai & Kia to support Pak on Kashmir

<p>Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the occasion of &#39;Kashmir Solidarity Day&#39;&nbsp;said Kashmir is the &quot;core dispute&quot; between India and Pakistan and peace will be difficult in the region without resolving the issue.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Jammu &amp; Kashmir is the core dispute between Pakistan and India. The dream of peace and prosperity of the people of this region will remain elusive without resolving this dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions,&quot; Sharif said on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He referred to the Kashmir conflict as the &quot;unfinished agenda of partition&quot;&nbsp;and said, &quot;for the last seven decades India has denied the people of Kashmir the right to self-determination promised to them by the international community through numerous UN Security Council resolutions&quot;.</p>

<p>India&#39;s home minister Rajnath Singh retaliated by saying a referendum must be conducted in Pakistan to determine whether their citizens wanted to remain there or to merge with India.</p>

<p>He also said that Kashmir was always with India and will always remain a part of it.</p>

<p>&quot;Now Pakistan wants a referendum on Kashmir but one thing is clear that Kashmir was with India and will be with India and no power can change that.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There should instead be a referendum in Pakistan, asking whether its people want to remain in the same country or want to merge with India,&quot; ANI quoted Rajnath Singh as saying at an election rally in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.<br />
<br />
The Press Trust of India had earlier quoted Sharif as saying, &quot;the people of Pakistan join their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in observing Kashmir Solidarity Day today to reaffirm our moral, diplomatic and political support to the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people for their basic human rights, especially the right to self-determination enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.&quot;</p>

<p>He said, &quot;Pakistan&nbsp;strongly condemns the systemic state terrorism and brutal killings of the innocent people of Kashmir by Indian forces,&nbsp;However, all the Indian brutalities have failed to deter the people of Kashmir from their cause for freedom from Indian subjugation.&quot;</p>

<p>He called on the international community to raise their voice against the &quot;gross violations of human rights and the reign of terror unleashed by Indian forces&quot; in Kashmir.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We urge India to stop bloodbath in Kashmir and allow the holding of free and fair plebiscite under the UN auspices,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>The Kashmir conflict dates back to 1947 when India and Pakistan gained independence from Britain. The two countries have fought two wars over Kashmir&nbsp;in 1965 and 1971, along with the Kargil conflict in 1999 which threatened to escalate into an all-out war between the two countries but ended after India pushed back Pakistani infiltrators in a high altitude battle involving the Indian Army and Air Force. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from agencies)</p>

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On 'Kashmir Solidarity Day', Nawaz Sharif called on international community to raise voice against 'atrocities committed against Kashmiri's'

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the occasion of 'Kashmir Solidarity Day' said Kashmir is the "core dispute" between India and Pakistan and peace will be difficult in the region without resolving the issue. "Jammu & Kashmir is the core dispute between Pakistan and India. The dream of peace and prosperity of the people of this region will remain elusive without resolving this dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions," Sharif said on Sunday. He referred to the Kashmir conflict as the "unfinished agenda of partition" and said, "for the last seven decades India has denied the people of Kashmir the right to self-determination promised to them by the international community through numerous UN Security Council resolutions". India's home minister Rajnath Singh retaliated by saying a referendum must be conducted in Pakistan to determine whether their citizens wanted to remain there or to merge with India. He also said that Kashmir was always with India and will always remain a part of it. "Now Pakistan wants a referendum on Kashmir but one thing is clear that Kashmir was with India and will be with India and no power can change that. There should instead be a referendum in Pakistan, asking whether its people want to remain in the same country or want to merge with India," ANI quoted Rajnath Singh as saying at an election rally in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The Press Trust of India had earlier quoted Sharif as saying, "the people of Pakistan join their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in observing Kashmir Solidarity Day today to reaffirm our moral, diplomatic and political support to the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people for their basic human rights, especially the right to self-determination enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions." He said, "Pakistan strongly condemns the systemic state terrorism and brutal killings of the innocent people of Kashmir by Indian forces, However, all the Indian brutalities have failed to deter the people of Kashmir from their cause for freedom from Indian subjugation." He called on the international community to raise their voice against the "gross violations of human rights and the reign of terror unleashed by Indian forces" in Kashmir. "We urge India to stop bloodbath in Kashmir and allow the holding of free and fair plebiscite under the UN auspices," he added. The Kashmir conflict dates back to 1947 when India and Pakistan gained independence from Britain. The two countries have fought two wars over Kashmir in 1965 and 1971, along with the Kargil conflict in 1999 which threatened to escalate into an all-out war between the two countries but ended after India pushed back Pakistani infiltrators in a high altitude battle involving the Indian Army and Air Force. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Kashmir 'core dispute' between India and Pakistan: Sharif