US President Trump “ready to assist” Pakistan, India over Kashmir issue

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump is ready to assist India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue, White House said on Thursday.

A senior official said the US is continuing to call for calm and restraint ahead of the bilateral meeting between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of G7 Summit to be held in France over the weekend.

He said Trump is "very focused" on the situation in Kashmir because of the broader implications of the developments in Jammu and Kashmir and the potential for increased stability in the region, the Radio Pakistan reported.

The official said that President Trump, during his meeting with Modi in France 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.

According to the official, the president is also likely to stress the need for dialogue among all sides of the conflict.

He also expressed hope that India will lift communication and movement restrictions in Kashmir and exercise utmost restraint in dealing with potential protests.