Trump calls Modi, stresses need for Pakistan-India peace

United States President Donald Trump on Monday spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging a reduction of tension between Pakistan and India over the disputed Kashmir region.

“The president conveyed the importance of reducing tensions between Pakistan and India and maintaining peace in the region,” White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley said in a statement.

“The two leaders further discussed how they will continue to strengthen US-India economic ties through increased trade, and they look forward to meeting again soon.”

Tensions escalated between Pakistan and India after the latter revoked Article 370, thus suspending Indian Occupied Kashmir’s (IOK) special status. The decision blocks the right of IOK to frame its own laws and allows non-residents to buy property there. Telephone lines, internet, and television networks have been blocked and there are restrictions on movement and assembly.

On August 16, the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) special meeting affirmed the disputed status of IOK, as it called upon both Pakistan and India to exercise restraint and refrain from unilateral actions that would aggravate the situation.

Briefing the press about the discussion in the world’s top forum, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dr Maleeha Lodhi had said that the 15-member UNSC had taken notice of the Kashmiris’ plight due to blatant human rights violations by the Indian occupational forces.

“The people of Jammu and Kashmir may be locked up and their voices not heard in their own homes and their own land, but their voices were heard today at the meeting of the United Nations Security Council. It is for the first time in 50 years that the world body has reaffirmed that Kashmir is not India’s internal issue as it is an internally recognised dispute,” she had said while thanking the member states for convening a meeting on the issue.

“Pakistan has, and always will, continue to highlight the gross human rights violations against the Muslims of Kashmir who are seeking their right to self-determination,” she had said.

The ambassador had said that India had made desperate attempts to thwart the meeting but the member states had ignored its pleas.