Kuwaiti Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah, "noted with concern" the deteriorating situation in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in a telephonic conversation with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday.

According to a statement by the Foreign Office, the Kuwaiti diplomat "underlined the need for preventive steps and peaceful resolution of disputes".

FM Qureshi, while briefing his Kuwaiti counterpart "highlighted the gross human rights violations being committed by the Indian forces" in the region since the "unilateral actions of August 5".

Qureshi underscored the need for an "urgent and effective response from the international community" for redressal of the dire humanitarian situation that had arisen from the "total lockdown" of occupied Kashmir.

The foreign minister further underlined that "India might try to divert the world’s attention from these grave human rights violations by staging a false flag operation and placing the blame on Pakistan".

He appreciated Kuwait’s constructive engagement as a member of the UN Security Council.

Belgian FM expresses concern, readiness to remain engaged

A day earlier, the foreign minister had held a telephonic conversation with Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders to brief him on the current situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir.

The foreign minister had highlighted the "illegal and unilateral steps taken by the Indian government to change the disputed status of occupied Kashmir and its demographic structure", according to a press release from the foreign office.

Qureshi had further said that the steps taken by India were a contravention of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir and other international laws.

He had emphasised the fact that India has progressively reneged on its commitments to the Security Council, other countries, Pakistan and the people of Jammu & Kashmir.

He had highlighted the severe hardships faced by the people of occupied Kashmir in the face of unprecedented lockdown of the entire population, apprising his Belgian counterpart on the worsening situation of basic human rights, safety and security of the people.

Foreign Minister Reynders had expressed his concern on the human rights situation in occupied Kashmir. He had stated that further escalation would have severe impact on the peace and security in the region and reaffirmed his readiness to remain engaged in the matter.