Pak urges India to ensure supplies of essential items to people of Kashmir

Pakistan on Thursday urged India to ensure supplies of essential items to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, amid rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the region.

Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui made the remarks at the weekly media interaction which was held online due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

"...Pakistan urges India to lift the blockade in the region in order to obtain full information on affected people and provision of essential items and medical supplies to the affected people, she said.

Pakistan's coronavirus cases sharply rose to 448 on Thursday, as the military said that measures are being taken to make the armed forces' medical facilities available for an "extreme emergency" situation.

On Afghanistan, Farooqui said Pakistan hoped to see the implementation of the US-Taliban peace deal that would lead to the Intra-Afghan negotiations.

"Pakistan has always supported an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. We hope after the peace agreement in Doha on February 29, 2020 all sides will move towards intra-afghan negotiations to establish long-lasting peace in Afghanistan, she said.

She said that the dates for next meeting under Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity mechanism were still under discussion.

To a question, she said that the Pakistani pilgrims were allowed to return from Iran after putting in place requisite infrastructure on our side of the border.

Farooqui also said that Pakistan and China always stood by each other particularly in challenging times and during the recent visit of President Arif Alvi, letters of exchange were signed between the two countries, aimed at building capacity and address the challenges posed by COVID-19 in Pakistan.