Kashmir murder heightens tension
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Your support makes all the difference.A prominent Kashmiri separatist was assassinated yesterday in a killing likely to push nuclear rivals India and Pakistan ever closer to the brink of war.
Abdul Gani Lone, a moderate of the all-party Hurriyat (Freedom) alliance, who opposed violence and called for dialogue, was shot by two masked men during a memorial rally in Srinagar. The attack happened after Mr Lone came down from a podium with 5,000 people looking on. He was hit in the heart, abdomen and thigh.
As Pakistan blamed Delhi for the murder, Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, announced he would travel to Islamabad and Delhi next week as part of an international effort to pull the two countries "back from the brink". Mr Straw said: "The possibility of war between India and Pakistan is real and very disturbing. There is always a grave danger of what starts as a limited military action getting out of control. It has the potential to be the most serious conflict in the world in terms of possible casualties."
Pakistan's military President, Pervez Musharraf, expressed "deep shock and grief" at news of the murder, while Pakistan's Foreign Ministry condemned what it called the cold-blooded murder. A statement said it was "yet another incident in the continuing reign of terror unleashed by the occupying forces in the Indian-held Kashmir for the last 12 years".
The United States, poised to launch a diplomacy mission, also condemned the killing.
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