Pakistan has called on international community to send a fact-finding mission to Kashmir and has offered a dialogue with India for de-escalation of recently rising tensions between the two countries said Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar, Pakistani Special Envoy on Kashmir to China, in Beijing on Sept.28.

Bakhtyar made these remarks in an exclusive interview with China.org.cn following his meeting with Chinese Vice Minister Liu Zhenmin of Foreign Affairs.

Bakhtyar alluded to Vice Minister Liu as saying that Kashmir was a historical issue and that China valued Pakistan’s position on Kashmir. He said that Liu urged both India and Pakistan to handle the differences through dialogue, improve their bilateral ties and protect the region's peace and stability.

Bakhtyar expressed serious concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in India Occupied Kashmir (IOK), where hundreds have been killed and thousands have been injured over the past several months. He reiterated the need for international community’s efforts to help restore peace and stability of the region. He said that life in IOK had come to a standstill ever since the extra judicial killing of Burhan Wani, on July 8 this year.

The Special Envoy rejected India’s long time accusation that Pakistan backed militant groups are operating in disputed Kashmir. "Whenever something bad happens in Kashmir, India points its finger at Pakistan," he pointed out.

The special envoy held that India and Pakistan, both nuclear powers, should resolve the issue through bilateral talks in line with the relevant UN resolution on Kashmir. Yet, he also revealed that Pakistan’s requests for talks with India had been rebuffed by India, several weeks ago.

He hoped that better sense would prevail and both countries would soon seek recourse to dialogue.

Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar and Alam Dad Laleka are on a visit to China as special envoys on Kashmir and Jammu sent especially by Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to China. They also met Vice Chairman Cai Wu of the Foreign Affairs Committee of CPPCC separately during their current visit.

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