Talks on Kashmir issue needed, want peace restored in Valley: Pak High Commissioner Abdul Basit

New Delhi: Re-iterating his stand that Islamabad only wants peace to prevail in Kashmir which has been hit by violence for more than two months, Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit on Saturday said that even though Indian had rejected their offer for talks on the matter, he hoped that a dialogue between the two nations was slated soon. 

"We hope that peace comes soon in Kashmir. We had sent a request for talks but as you know that had been rejected, but we wil continue to hope that talks are held in Kashmir," Basit told the media here. 

Asked to react on Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti's statement directly implementing Pakistan and accusing them of instigating youths in Kashmir, Basit said that he had nothing to comment on the subject as the statement was her opinion. 

You all know that we took a step towards having dialogue but that didnt work out: Pak High Cmsnr Abdul Basit pic.twitter.com/lYJfCafZhS — ANI (@ANI_news) August 27, 2016

Abdul Basit, Pak HC in India: We did send invite to India, did not move forward. We do feel talks on Kashmir needed pic.twitter.com/cnKTaDqIRU

— ANI (@ANI_news) August 27, 2016

When said that United Nations had virtually confirmed six addresses of global terrorist Dawood Ibrahim in Pakistan, the diplomat swatted away the development saying that the entire matter had become stale now. 

"Ye baat purani ho gayee hai" Abdul Basit, Pak HC to India when asked about Dawood's homes in Pakistan pic.twitter.com/1QSlj6J8C4 — ANI (@ANI_news) August 27, 2016

Earlier today, Mehbooba Mufti lashed out at Pakistan and accused it of provoking tensions and fuelling unrest in the Valley. 

The People's Democratic Party chief also asserted that if Islamabad was really concerned about the situationin the Valley, then it would have helped the state government in fixing the problem rather than fanning the flames. 

Mehbooba, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the ongoing crisis in Jammu and Kashmir, also added that Pakistan should stop provoking the youth into attacking security forces.   

Basit had earlier courted controversy by saying that Pakistan will always help the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their 'freedom struggle'.

"Pakistan will always help and take the side of the Kashmiris till they get their right. This kind of freedom struggle sometimes takes several  years or even ages to be completed... Pakistan will always help the Kashmir people, who are fighting for their freedom," he had said on the  occassion of Pakistan's Independence Day at the High Commission here. 

Meanwhile, the situation in the Valley continued to grim as a police constable was shot dead by terrorisrs in Pulwama District today.