ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan asked US President Donald Trump to use his influence with India to help end the “siege” in Kashmir as the two leaders met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday.

He told the US president that millions of people had been living under a security lockdown in Indian-administered Kashmir since New Delhi revoked the limited constitutional autonomy of the disputed Himalayan territory on August 5.

A statement issued by the prime minister’s office on Tuesday said that Khan appreciated Trump’s continued offers of assistance in mediating Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan.

Khan also stressed the need for “immediate lifting of the curfew and other restrictions” in the Indian administered part of the disputed valley for lasting peace in the region, the statement added.

“Describing India’s draconian lockdown in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir as a dire humanitarian crisis with implications for regional security, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of immediate lifting of the curfew and other restrictions and resolving the Kashmir dispute for durable peace and stability in South Asia,” PM Office said.

Pointing to the fact that Trump was leading the most powerful country in world, Khan noted he should use his political weight to help ease the situation.

“We look to the US to put out flames in the world,” he said.

Trump renewed his willingness to mediate between the two South Asian nuclear-armed states, though he added that both countries would have to agree on his involvement.

He also observed that the Indian prime minister had made a “very aggressive comment” in front of a huge gathering of Indian-Americans in Houston on Sunday, which he noted was also “well-received” by the audience.

Khan and Trump also reviewed the evolving regional peace and security scenario and reiterated their shared interest in a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. “Prime Minister Khan hoped for an early resumption of the Afghan peace and reconciliation process while underlining that there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict,” statement read.

Hours before the meeting Khan had said he would emphasize in his meeting with President Trump that military approach was not going to work in Afghanistan and the US should resume peace talks with the Taliban.

Speaking at an event organized by an American think tank in New York, he said it was not because of his country that the US had failed to accomplish much in the war ravaged country, adding that American failure could be attributed to its ignorance of Afghan history and the fact that its military approach was never going to yield the desired results.

Describing the breakdown of talks between the US and Taliban at a time when the two sides were close to signing an agreement as “painful” for his country, he said that the Trump administration “should have at least discussed its decision” with his government that found out about it through newspapers.

The prime minister also praised Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China for helping his country at a time of serious economic crisis. He said that his government had inherited the biggest current account deficit in the country’s history, though he added that Pakistan tried to stabilize its economy at a time when it was “staring at a default” with the help of friendly nations.

Khan also expressed his admiration for China that lifted a large chunk of its population out of poverty within a bewilderingly short span of a few decades, adding that his country’s economic diplomacy had also created a space where Chinese companies could relocate to Pakistan and bring in technology.

Asked about his scathing criticism of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Khan said he was more concerned about India than Pakistan since the former was “not headed in the right direction.” He reiterated that his administration wanted to have friendly relations with all the neighboring countries and was even willing to ignore the anti-Pakistan rhetoric during the recent Indian election campaign. However, New Delhi showed little interest in his calls for negotiations and tried to isolate Pakistan, instead, by using the Financial Action Task Force.

He repeated his claim that India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was following a pernicious ideology, adding that “the world must intervene before this goes any far.”

Khan also highlighted the situation in Indian-administered Kashmir during his conversation, saying that millions of people were living their lives under siege in the disputed Himalayan region. “The international community can at least ask India to lift the curfew,” he said.