B.C. diaspora hopes for peace amid rising India-Pakistan tensions

CBC News

· Posted: May 08, 2025 12:08 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

British Columbians with ties to India and Pakistan are expressing interest aft India fired missiles connected Pakistani-controlled areas Wednesday, stoking ongoing tensions betwixt the 2 countries.

Pakistan said astatine slightest 26 radical died successful the missile strikes, and some countries said they suffered casualties successful ensuing artillery exchanges on the Line of Control — which separates India and Pakistan in the contested Kashmir region.

Jatinder Bhan, who emigrated from Kashmir decades ago, says helium is trying to recognize the unit successful the region.

"We're hopeful that someday, bid volition reign successful the country and that we are capable to, with the respect, spell backmost and unrecorded peacefully with our different members of the community," said the Coquitlam, B.C., resident.

WATCH | Pakistan calls India's strikes an 'act of war': 

Similar sentiments were expressed astatine a Hindu temple successful Surrey following the escalation of unit betwixt the 2 countries.

Vinay Sharma, caput of the Vedic Hindu Cultural Society of B.C., says helium is praying for peace.

"In Hinduism ... we are taught that the full satellite is our family," Sharma said. "So we are disquieted for each and each idiosyncratic who lives successful India oregon anyplace else. And we bash not privation immoderate killings, we bash not privation immoderate war."

India-Pakistan tensions person been elevated since an onslaught connected April 22 successful Indian-administered Kashmir, wherever gunmen killed 26 people, astir of them Indian Hindu tourists.

Indian officials person blamed Pakistan for backing the gunmen — a complaint denied by Islamabad — and said the latest rocket strikes were a retaliation for the April massacre. 

The April onslaught took spot successful the portion of the Kashmir portion that is controlled by India but claimed by Pakistan.

Kashmir, which is divided betwixt the 2 countries but claimed successful its entirety by each, has been astatine the centre of tensions for decades, including 2 wars. 

Haroon Khan, a manager with the Pakistan-Canada Association and the Al Jamia Masjid mosque successful Vancouver, says helium hopes the planetary assemblage works toward de-escalating tensions betwixt the 2 countries.

He says members of the section South Asian diaspora are concerned about the conflict, and it's important to retrieve "that we're each friends and neighbours here."

"There is nary spot for immoderate escalation among our ain communities.... Here it's important to support the bid and besides enactment towards a just and conscionable bid for each people," Khan said.