Pak hopes Trump will take 'practical steps' on his offer to mediate on Kashmir

Pakistan on Thursday expressed hope that US President Donald Trump during his visit to India next week will take "some concrete practical steps" on his offer of mediation on Kashmir.

Trump is scheduled to travel to India on February 24 and 25, with stops in Ahmedabad and New Delhi.

At the weekly media briefing here, Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui hoped the offer of mediation expressed by President Trump "will be taken forward through some concrete practical steps."

Farooqui made the remarks in response to questions about Trump's visit to India and situation in Kashmir. She said that four US Senators including Senator Lindsay Graham in a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo drew his attention towards the situation in Kashmir.

In January, President Trump repeated his offer to "help" resolve the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan during his meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

New Delhi maintains that there is no scope for any third-party mediation between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.

Farooqui also said that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres during his three-day visit to Pakistan expressed his "deep concern at the increase in tensions since last year".

She also said this week was a painful reminder of the tragedy of Samjhauta Express train that occurred 13 years ago, and the "families and the loved ones of the 68 victims of that terrorist attack still await justice."

"Pakistan would like to remind the Indian government of its responsibility to take serious and credible steps to bring the perpetrators of the Samjhauta Express blasts to justice at the earliest and without further delay," she said.