By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA
MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday expressed hope that India and Pakistan would exercise restraint in the wake of rising tensions in Kashmir.
In a statement sent through DFA Assistant Secretary Cato, the agency said it is closely monitoring the situation in the region.
Meanwhile, it advised Filipinos in India and Pakistan to be vigilant and to take the necessary precautions, including avoiding any travel to the disputed region.
Although there are no Filipinos residing in Kashmir, the agency noted there are seven Filipino military observers serving with the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).
“All seven are safe along with the approximately 1,780 members of the Filipino Community in Pakistan and 1,167 others in India,” it reported.
Filipinos in Pakistan who may find themselves in emergency situations are urged to call the Philippine Embassy in Islamabad at +92 333 524 4762 for assistance while those in India may wish to call the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi at (+91) 99 1079 7014.
Hostilities between New Delhi and Islamabad escalated on Wednesday after confrontation broke out between Indian and Pakistani fighter jets in the skies above the Kashmir region.
This came in the wake of the deadly suicide bombing in the region’s Pulwama district which killed 40 Indian soldiers on Valentine’s Day.
The confrontation came after India threatened to launch airstrikes on Pakistani territory in response to the “terrorist attack” against its forces in the disputed region.
