Diplomatic efforts underway to initiate Indo-Pak dialogue: UN

Lahore [Pakistan], June 21 (ANI): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has assured that diplomatic efforts are underway to re-initiate a dialogue between India and Pakistan for resolving the decades-old Kashmir dispute. Responding to a question, Guterres said that he met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif thrice and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi twice to bring them to the negotiating table, Radio Pakistan reported. He expressed concern over the escalating tensions between the two countries amid repeated violations on the Line of Control. Ceasefire violations and cross-border firing by Pakistani security forces along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border with India have increased many folds from 2014 to 2017. The Pakistani troops have been using mortars and heavy weapons in the recent attacks. The tensions along the Line of Control (LoC) has already forced over 3,000 people including women and children to migrate from their houses near the border in Jammu and Kashmir to safer places. The India-Pakistan composite Dialogue was cancelled in 2014 after Pakistan High Commissioner refused to call off talks with Kashmiri separatist leaders, despite India's objections to it. (ANI)