Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry on Friday said the ongoing human rights violations in Indian-held Kashmir serve as an obstacle on the path to normalizing relations with India.

While addressing a seminar held here earlier today, Chaudhry called on India to adopt a realistic attitude towards resolving the Kashmir dispute, and said negotiations are the only way forward to achieving a solution to the issue.

"We don’t want [occupied] Kashmir because it is so beautiful and scenic; we don’t view the Kashmir dispute in terms of land. We view the dispute through the lens of humanity. Its residents are a part of us, when they feel pain we feel pain," he said.

The minister lamented that Pakistan faces Indian-sponsored terrorism because India wants to continue to impose its control in [occupied] Kashmir. "But now the Kashmir narrative has strengthened its stronghold over India," he pointed out.

Chaudhry said that the ongoing atrocities in Indian-held Kashmir make normalizing relations with India difficult. "India will need to adopt a realistic attitude towards the dispute. [Some foolish] policymakers in India must think that the Kashmir issue is being driven by Pakistan only. [But the fact is] that Kashmiris have emotions [too] and their struggle is ongoing."

The minister said it remains in the interests of the region that both India and Pakistan improve their relations with each other.

"Everyone will benefit from peace," he said.