What India is doing to minimize tension over Kashmir, Trump will ask Modi in meeting: US official

WASHINGTON (92 News) - President Donald Trump will ask India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi about efforts to minimize tension with Pakistan over Kashmir, said a senior US official on Friday. The US president will take up the matter of occupied Kashmir with Indian PM on the sidelines of G7 summit in France, he added. The official said Trump is ready to assist India and Pakistan over the situation in occupied Kashmir. Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after New Delhi abolished Article 370 of the constitution which granted special status to the occupied valley on August 5. “The United States is watching the situation in occupied Kashmir very closely. We are continuing to call for calm and restraint, including on rhetoric," the US official said ahead of a meeting between Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G7 summit in France this weekend. The official further said Trump was "very focused" on the situation in Kashmir because of the broader implications of the developments in the valley and the potential for increased stability in the region. The official added, "The president will likely want to hear from Prime Minister Modi on how he plans to reduce regional tensions and uphold respect for human rights in Kashmir, as part of India's role as the world's largest democracy." He added, the US president was likely to stress the need for dialogue among all sides of the conflict and he hopes that India will lift communication and movement restrictions in occupied Kashmir and exercise utmost restraint in dealing with potential protests. The official said Donald Trump would raise concerns over deteriorating human rights situation in occupied Kashmir.