Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan told a visiting US Congressional delegation represented by Chris Van Hollen and Maggi Hassan here Monday that talks with India were out of question in view of the situation in Kashmir after India revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
Imran Khan told the delegation he was the ‘biggest supporter’ of Pakistan-India talks; however, it is impossible until the situation is changed for the better in Kashmir. But India has pointed out to Pakistan that as long as it supports cross-border terrorism, New Delhi will not resume talks with Islamabad.
Hollen is part of a group of US senators who have expressed concern over the human rights situation in Kashmir.
In his maiden speech at the UN General Assembly last month, Imran Khan raised the Kashmir issue and demanded that India must lift the ‘inhuman curfew’ in Kashmir and release all ‘political prisoners’.
Khan devoted half of his address to the Kashmir issue, warning that if there’s face-off between two nuclear-armed neighbours, the consequences would be far beyond their borders.
US Congress members Tahir Javed and US charge d’affairs Paul Jones were also a part of the delegation that met Khan. The US delegation also met Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Bajwa at the General Headquarters, said a statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
PTI
