Observer Report
Washington
United States congresswoman Ilhan Omar on Tuesday called for “deescalation” and an “immediate restoration of communication” in occupied Kashmir, where a lockdown imposed by the Indian government has entered its fourth week.
In a tweet, that comes a day after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took place 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 organi-sations 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 yesterday on the sidelines of a G7 summit in France, 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. Last week, key lawmakers of US Congress urged New Delhi to end the occupation and allow its residents to speak.massive protests held in major cities of the occupied territory.
Former Kashmir Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday refused to accept the Indian government’s conditions for their release. According to the media reports, Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik offered to release the both political figures on the condition of staying silent and not rallying with their supporters against India‘s decision to scrap the special status of the occupied Kashmir.— Agencies
