SRINAGAR: Germany’s foreign minister expressed conditional concern over human rights violations in Kashmir and urged Pakistan and India to resolve the dispute through dialogue. “If there are human rights violations [in Kashmir], if there are atrocities, then there will be a reaction and that reaction, at times, is difficult to contain,” Heiko Mass told a joint press conference alongside his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi, apparently referring to a attack in Kashmir last month that killed at least 40 CRPF men and raised tensions between India and Pakistan.
“Germany acknowledges Pakistan’s efforts toward de-escalating the current tension with India and Premier [Imran] Khan’s offer for dialogue with New Delhi,” he added, citing Islamabad’s quick release of an Indian pilot as a positive step. Qureshi said he briefed Maas on the recent tension with India and human rights violations in Kashmir. “Kashmir is the main issue between Pakistan and India, and dialogue is the only way to go forward,” Qureshi said. Qureshi called terrorism a global challenge and said his country has taken several steps to eliminate this menace from the region.