Mlaysia has called on India and Pakistan to engage with each other and hold dialogue as tensions escalate over the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Malaysia is monitoring the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Malaysia has close and friendly relations with both India and Pakistan,” Malaysian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
This comes after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke to his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad about India’s move to abrogate the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir.
The Himalayan state with a population of 12 million has since been placed under a communication blockade by the Indian government with internet, cell phones and landlines shut. Key Kashmiri leaders have also been placed under house arrest.
Pakistan has also urged the UN to intervene and held an Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Jeddah.
Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.
