PM Imran, UK counterpart Boris Johnson discuss 'serious situation in Kashmir'

Published August 7, 2019
Prime Minister Imran Khan, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. — Reuters/Imran Khan Facebook
Prime Minister Imran Khan, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. — Reuters/Imran Khan Facebook

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday made a telephone call to his UK counterpart, Boris Johnson, during which a discussion on the "serious situation in Kashmir" was held, Johnson's Downing Street office said in a statement.

Both leaders agreed on the "importance of maintaining dialogue", the statement added.

The prime minister congratulated PM Johnson on assuming office as the UK prime minister. Both leaders underscored their "continued commitment to the bilateral relationship between the UK and Pakistan".

In a parallel development, Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he had expressed concern to his Indian counterpart about the situation in the disputed Kashmir region.

“I have to spoken to the Indian Foreign Minister,” Raab said on Wednesday.

“We've expressed some of our concerns around the situation and called for calm, but also had a clear readout of the situation from the perspective of the Indian government.”

Examine: India's legislative actions in Jammu and Kashmir — legal or illegal?

After India decided to revoke Kashmir's special status by repealing Article 370 and 35-A of its constitution through a presidential order, Pakistan said it would downgrade diplomatic relations and suspend bilateral trade with India.

With the revocation of Article 370 of the constitution, Indian residents will now be able to acquire property in Kashmir and settle there permanently.

Kashmiris, as well as critics of India’s Hindu nationalist-led government, see the move as an attempt to bring a demographic change to Kashmir, diluting its Muslim-majority population with Hindu settlers.

Furthermore, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, who is also president of the BJP, moved a bill — passed by the Indian parliament — to bifurcate the state into two union territories to be directly ruled by New Delhi.

Opinion

Editorial

Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...
Islamabad protest
Updated 20 Nov, 2024

Islamabad protest

As Nov 24 draws nearer, both the PTI and the Islamabad administration must remain wary and keep within the limits of reason and the law.
PIA uncertainty
20 Nov, 2024

PIA uncertainty

THE failed attempt to privatise the national flag carrier late last month has led to a fierce debate around the...
T20 disappointment
20 Nov, 2024

T20 disappointment

AFTER experiencing the historic high of the One-day International series triumph against Australia, Pakistan came...