PM Imran expresses concerns over Kashmir humanitarian crisis in call with Trump

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday said Prime Minister Imran Khan in a phone call to US President Donald Trump informed him that the unilateral decision of Modi’s government has endangered the region.

Addressing a press briefing, Qureshi said, "PM Imran expressed serious concern over the humanitarian crisis triggered in occupied Kashmir and hoped the US would play its role in resolving the crisis.”

"We want a UN observer mission to be dispatched forthwith to Indian-occupied Kashmir" and for the curfew there to be "lifted immediately," he said.

The foreign minister further said the prime minister in his recent visit to US has informed the president of his stance on the Kashmir issue. 

“PM Imran presented Pakistan’s stance and said the August 5 unilateral action of the BJP government had endangered the region and such steps of the Indian government had an aim to alter the special status of Kashmir and also to change the demography of a disputed territory and converted majority population of the people of Kashmir into minority."

"The prime minister clearly told the US president that all these steps of the Indian government were against the UN resolution and international laws," Qureshi said. “We are foreseeing the situation and a humanitarian crisis are in the making. There is a total blockage in the occupied valley.”

”Thousands of Kashmiris and their leadership had been detained, the prime minister informed the US president, adding that curfew should be lifted with immediate effect and the restrictions must be removed,” Qureshi said.

PM Imran urged the US president to play his role and uphold commitments of the Indian government with international organisations, Qureshi said.

The foreign minister further said, PM Imran thanked President Trump for taking steps in this regard and said it was constructive engagements and hoped that President Trump and US would play its role in resolving the long-standing issue.

“I think today the prime minister has represented the Pakistani nation and Kashmiri people according to their wishes by putting Kashmir case in front of President Trump,” Qureshi added.