Kashmir dispute should be resolved diplomatically: Iranian President Rouhani

The Kashmir dispute has no military solution and should be resolved diplomatically by India and Pakistan, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday.

In a telephonic conversation with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Rouhani said that the two neighbouring countries should exercise restraint and stop the killing of innocent people in Kashmir. He added that the dispute on the issue is causing apprehension for all the other countries in the subcontinent, reported Dunya News.

The call was made by Khan as part of his outreach to world leaders over the Indian government's decision to scrap Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. He had earlier made similar calls to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Malaysian PM Mahathir Bin Mohamad.

Pakistan has made a series of moves to remonstrate against the abrogation of Article 370, such as suspending bilateral trade and downgrading diplomatic relations with India. On its part, New Delhi asked Islamabad to review its decision so that normal channels for diplomatic communications are preserved while strictly maintaining that its steps in Jammu and Kashmir are an "entirely internal affair".

The international community has urged both countries to exercise restraint and ensure that peace and stability prevail across the Line of Control (LoC).