India ready to hold talks with Pakistan over Kashmir

Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry had invited Indian counterpart for talks on Kashmir unrest

India is ready to send its top diplomat to Pakistan for talks focused on fighting cross-border terrorism, sources at India's foreign ministry said on Wednesday, after a spike in tension in the disputed northernmost region of Kashmir.

Indian Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was willing to attend talks on the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart, the sources said, adding that they should focus on the situation in Kashmir.

The olive branch comes after 40 days of violent protests in Indian-ruled Kashmir that were sparked by the killing by security forces of a field commander of Hizbul Mujahideen who enjoyed wide support.

At least 64 people have died and thousands been injured in clashes with security forces that have been denounced by Pakistan.



The Indian sources, who declined to be identified, made it clear, however, that India "rejects in their entirety the self-serving allegations regarding the situation in J&K, which is an integral part of India."

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is the name of India's only Muslim-majority state that includes the disputed Kashmir region.

A top UN human rights official expressed "deep regret" at the failure of both the Indian and Pakistani authorities to grant access to the separate parts of Kashmir that each run to investigate allegations of serious human rights violations.



UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in a statement issued in Geneva it was unfortunate that sincere attempts by the United Nations to independently assess the facts in relation to reports of human rights violations had failed. "Without access, we can only fear the worst," said Zeid.

Deadly ambush

In the latest violence on Wednesday, rebels killed three members of the Indian security forces when they ambushed an army convoy and then fired on a police jeep that came to the scene. In a worrying escalation the previous day, Indian security forces fired live rounds at a crowd of stone-throwing protesters in Kashmir's Baramulla district, killing five and wounding 10.

Earlier, police and troops trying to control crowds had resorted to the use of shotguns, whose pellets are meant to incapacitate but not kill. But residents of Kashmir say the shotguns have inflicted severe injuries and even blinded hundreds of people including bystanders.