Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Prime Minister Imran Khan had a telephonic conversation on Sunday in which the former expressed concern over the atrocities and killing of innocent people in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK). According to a statement issued by Prime Minister's Office, "the call was made as part of PM Imran's outreach to world leaders with a view to apprise them of the grave situation in the region and to urge them to take action.
During the conversation, PM Khan underlined that India's move to change the constitutional status of IoK -which is internationally recognised as a disputed region-was in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
He also highlighted the serious threat of "massive killings as part of the crackdown by Indian forces" and called on the international community to play their part and act urgently to prevent the impending calamity. PM Khan conveyed to President Rouhani Pakistan's willingness to resolve the dispute and how it had made "repeated calls and efforts" urging India to carve out a solution through peaceful means and in accordance with the UNSC resolutions.
"President Hassan Rouhani, while underlining that all possible efforts must be made to keep the regional tensions low, stressed that the Muslims of Kashmir must be able to use their legal rights and interests to be able to live in peace," read the PM Office statement. It added that the Iranian leader "expressed his concerns over the atrocities and killing of innocent people" in the disputed region.
The premier appreciated Iran's principled stance on the Kashmir issue and Iranian leadership's consistently strong voice in support of the rights and well-being of the people of Kashmir. It was agreed by both leaders that "no military solution existed" to the long-standing dispute. PM Khan stressed that India should be counselled to immediately resolve the issue under the UN resolutions", the statement said. The two leaders also expressed satisfaction that significant progress had been made to further strengthen the relations between Iran and Pakistan, particularly following the PM Khan's visit to Tehran in April.