Social media pleas in bid to avoid war

INDIA-PAKISTAN TENSIONS RISE

THOUSANDS of Indian and Pakistani social media users have been pleading with their leaders to find peace amid escalating tensions as #SayNoToWar began trending on Twitter in both countries yesterday.

Simmering tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals have boiled over in recent days as India carried out airstrikes in the Pakistani-controlled area of Kashmir, which borders the south Asian states, after a suicide bomber killed 40 Indian troops earlier in February.

Pakistan said it had shot down two Indian warplanes and captured a pilot yesterday morning, leading to strong language and fears that relations could collapse into further violence.

But prominent social media users have been appealing for peace.

Indian actor Ranganathan Madhavan, who has more than 2.5 million followers, tweeted: “It’s a war against terror not between two nations yet.”

And the Indian politician Rukshmani Kumari agreed, tweeting: “The only war India and Pakisthan [sic] should fight is illiteracy, povery and violence #SayNoToWar.”

Thousands of other Twitter users lent their voices to the cause as well.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has extended an offer to Indian Prime Minister Nerendra Modi for talks to de-escalate the situation.