Sartaj Aziz urges World community to play ‘active role’ in Kashmir

The International community should play a “more active role” in Kashmir, Pakistan’s top diplomat Sartaj Aziz has said during a meeting with the British National Security Advisor in London.

Aziz, the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs advisor who is in the UK to attend the 50^th meeting of Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, raised the issue of alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir during a meeting with British National Security Advisor Mark Lyall Grant, Radio Pakistan reported.

Aziz underscored the need for the international community to play a “more active role” in Kashmir, it said.

He also emphasised the need for a criteria-based approach for any new member in the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the report said. Aziz discussed issues related to peace, development, trade and investment, security and counter-terrorism with Grant.

They also discussed needs to further strengthen the existing relations through the available mechanism of Pakistan-UK Enhanced Strategic Dialogue.

The US on Wednesday said it was working with India and NSG members to push for New Delhi’s membership in the elite grouping, indicating that there was no change in America’s policy on the issue under the Trump administration.

Besides India, Pakistan has also applied for the membership of the NSG, a bloc that governs civilian nuclear trade worldwide.

India’s membership in the NSG has been blocked by China, Pakistan’s close ally.