Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday described as a step in the right direction the Supreme Court's direction to the Indian government and the Jammu and Kashmir administration to restore normalcy in the Valley as early as possible.
Qureshi's comments came as India's apex court asked the authorities to keep in mind the national interest while taking the necessary steps on a "selective basis".
The Jammu and Kashmir government as well as the Centre should make "every endeavour to restore the normalcy as early as possible", a bench of the apex court said, adding the "restoration will be on a selective basis keeping in mind the national interest".
Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said he himself will visit Srinagar, if required, after terming as "very very serious" the allegation that people are finding it very difficult to approach the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
India stood divided after the Supreme Court directed the government to restore normalcy in Kashmir, Geo News quoted the Pakistani foreign minister as saying.
Talking to the media, the foreign minister said the verdict of India's top court was an affirmation of the stance Pakistan had taken on the issue of Kashmir after New Delhi revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5.
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India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir was revoked and the state bifurcated into two separate union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Terming the decision of the top court in India as a step in the right direction, Qureshi said it actually represented the division of opinion in India over the actions of the Indian government in Kashmir where normal life has remained affected on Monday for the 43rd consecutive day.
"Restoring normalcy means that the curfew should be lifted and communications to the occupied valley restored," the minister said.
Tension between India and Pakistan escalated after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status. Reacting to India's move on Kashmir, Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with New Delhi and expelled the Indian High Commissioner.
Pakistan has been trying to internationalise the Kashmir issue but India has asserted that the abrogation of Article 370 was its "internal matter". New Delhi has also asked Islamabad to accept the reality and stop its anti-India rhetoric.