Nawaz Sharif meets Kerry; seeks US role in Kashmir dispute

New York, Sep 19: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today raised the Kashmir issue in his meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry here, urging Washington to "play a role" in the resolution of the dispute.

"Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had two very productive meetings at start of General Assembly visit with US Secretary of State John Kerry & PM of New Zealand," Pakistan's envoy to the UN Maleeha Lodhi tweeted.

"PM urged the US to play a role in the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute and highlighted human rights abuses in occupied Kashmir," she said. During the meeting, regional and international issues came under discussion.

Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Lodhi and US Special Representative for Af-Pak Richard Olson were also present at the meeting.

Sharif will address the UN General Assembly's high-level summit on refugees and migrants today and address the General Debate on September 21. The meeting comes amidst a fresh war of words between Pakistan and India after terrorists killed 18 Indian soldiers in Kashmir.

Sharif, who is here to attend the 71th Session of United Nations General Assembly, earlier called on the permanent members of the UN Security Council demanding that India should be forced to stop its alleged brutalities in Kashmir.

He has said he will highlight the Kashmir issue in his address at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Heavily-armed militants stormed a battalion headquarters of the Indian Army in North Kashmir's Uri town in the wee hours yesterday, killing 18 jawans and injuring 19 others in the attack in which all four terrorists were neutralised.

It was the worst attack on the Indian Army in many years. India's DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh has said all the four killed militants were foreign terrorists and had carried with them items which had Pakistani markings and that initial reports indicated that they belonged to Pakistan-based Jaish-E-Mohammed terrorist group.

PTI