Trump 'ready to assist' India and Pakistan over Kashmir crisis

WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump is “ready to assist” India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue, a senior official of the US government said.

“The United States is watching the situation in occupied Kashmir very closely. We are continuing to call for calm and restraint, including on rhetoric,” the US official said ahead of a meeting between Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G7 summit, to be held in France over the weekend.

He said Trump is “very focused” on the situation in Kashmir because of the broader implications of the developments in Jammu & Kashmir, and the potential for increased instability in the region.

The official said that President Trump, during his meeting with Modi in France, would like to hear from the Indian prime minister on how he plans to reduce regional tensions and uphold respect for human rights in Kashmir.

According to the official, the president is also likely to stress over the need for a dialogue among all parties involved in the conflict.

He also expressed hope that India will lift communication and movement restrictions in Kashmir and exercise utmost restraint in dealing with potential protests.