Pakistan on Friday said it “deplored the lethal use of force” by Indian forces in the Kashmir Valley, during a briefing to the United Nations Security Council, PTI reported. Adviser to Pakistan's Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz told the Council that Islamabad also “regretted” New Delhi rejecting its invitation for talks on the disputed region.

A statement by Pakistan’s Foreign Office said that Aziz had briefed the ambassadors of the permanent members of the Council – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – on the “killings and serious human rights violations” in Kashmir. It further said that Aziz also informed them about the exchange of letters between the foreign secretaries of both countries. The statement added that Pakistan was “ready to engage in a dialogue to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute”.

News of Aziz’s meeting with the Council came even as the India’s External Affairs Ministry called Pakistan a “prime perpetrator” of terrorism. The current row between the two countries began after Pakistan dedicated its Independence Day to the “freedom of Kashmir”. New Delhi has said that it will hold talks with Islamabad if it agrees to discuss its “core concern” cross-border terrorism. Violence in the Valley began following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.