WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th August, 2019) US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells will visit India and Pakistan for talks with senior government officials amid the tensions over Jammu and Kashmir, the Department of STtae said in a release on Wednesday.
"Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells is on travel to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India from August 6-16," the release said. "Wells will hold bilateral consultations on issues of mutual interest with senior government officials in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India, in addition to meetings with business leaders and civil society."
Earlier on Wednesday, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind announced that Article 370 of India's constitution, which had guaranteed Jammu and Kashmir's special status since the late 1940s, had been revoked.
After the move, a telecommunication blackout ensued in the region leaving citizens without access to the internet, land-line and mobile services, media reported.
Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan convened the country's National Security Committee, a second such meeting within a week.
Article 370 of the Indian constitution protected the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, requiring a mandatory approval in the local assembly of most of the laws adopted by the Indian parliament.
Kashmir has been the source of clashes between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in the region in 1947. Following several armed conflicts, the two countries agreed to a ceasefire in 2003. Since, both countries have accused each other of violating the truce, with continued instability in the region leading to the emergence of various extremist groups.
