US congresswoman asks India to allow intl outfits to document ‘ground reality’ in IOK

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United States congresswoman Ilhan Omar on Tuesday urged the Indian government to allow international organisations to document the ground reality in occupied Kashmir.

Omar called for “de-escalation” and an “immediate restoration of communication” in the held valley, where a lockdown imposed by the Indian government has entered its fourth week.

In a tweet, that came a day after a highly anticipated meeting between US President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Modi took place on the sideline of the G7 Summit in France, Omar said: “We should be calling for an immediate restoration of communication; respect for human rights, democratic norms, and religious freedom; and de-escalation in [occupied] Kashmir.”

“International organisations should be allowed to fully document what is happening on the ground,” she added.

President Trump, who has offered to mediate in working towards a solution on more than one occasion, held a meeting with Modi on Monday, after which he said that India and Pakistan “could handle their dispute over occupied Kashmir on their own”, but he was there should they need him.

“We spoke last night about Kashmir, prime minister really feels he has it under control. They speak with Pakistan and I’m sure that they will be able to do something that will be very good,” the US president had told reporters.