President's office clarifies Pakistani HC meeting

The President's Office has clarified that President Maithripala Sirisena had not commented on the Kashmir issue during a meeting with the Pakistani High Commissioner recently.

The clarification comes in the wake of a statement issued by the Pakistani High Commission stating that the President had said that the issue should be resolved according to the wishes of the Kashmiris.

However, the President's office said Mr. Sirisena had only noted that Sri Lanka's interest is to see the growth of regional cooperation and friendship given the "friendly relations" of India and Pakistan with Sri Lanka.

"The President did not make any other comment on the issues pertaining to India and Pakistan," the statement from the President's office read.

According to the Pakistani High Commission's statement, Sirisena had even "offered Sri Lanka’s mediation and facilitation of dialogue between Pakistan and India to re-activate the SAARC forum,"

Tensions have peaked between India and Pakistan after the Indian goverment had revoked the special autonomous status of the part of Kashmir that it administers.