Rajnath to undertake 2-day visit to Kashmir

This is the second visit of Singh in a month to the valley which has been witnessing unrest since July 8 when Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces. As many as 65 people, including two policemen, have been killed and several thousand were injured so far in different violence. The Home Minister had said the Centre wants an emotional relationship with the state and not just need-based. Singh had said the Central government will talk to whosoever needed once peace and normalcy is restored in the state. 

“As far as government of India is concerned, I want to make it clear that we don’t just want need-based ties, but to build an emotional relationship with Kashmir,” he said, reaching out to the people in the valley while making a fervent appeal to them to help restore peace and normalcy in the state. On Monday, while meeting a joint opposition delegation led by former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed his ‘deep concern and pain’ over the situation there and asked all political parties to work together to find a ‘permanent and lasting’ solution to problems in Jammu and Kashmir.  The PM emphasised on the need for dialogue to find a ‘permanent and lasting solution’ within the framework of the Constitution and also asked all political parties to work together to find a solution to the problems.

Continuing with its efforts to internationalise the Kashmir issue, Pakistan has briefed China about alleged human rights violations in Kashmir during their bilateral strategic dialogue.

Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, who is on a two-day visit to China, attended the bilateral strategic dialogue meeting and also met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing during his trip, the Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement. The seventh round of Strategic Dialogue between Pakistan and China was held on Monday in Beijing where Chaudhry led the Pakistani delegation while the Chinese side was headed by Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Asian and Consular Affairs Kong Xuanyou. Chaudhry apprised his counterpart of the ‘grave humanitarian situation’ in Kashmir and the ongoing ‘human rights violations’, the statement said. Both sides held detailed discussions on the entire spectrum of bilateral relations between Pakistan and China, including the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), economic cooperation, defence, counter-terrorism, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, culture, education and people to people contact.