Pak welcomes Trump's peace offer with India

Pakistan yesterday welcomed an offer by US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to ease tensions with nuclear-armed rival India over ongoing unrest in Kashmir, which both claim as their own.

In an interview with Indian newspaper Hindustan Times last week, Trump said he would be pleased to be a mediator between Pakistan and India.

"Well, I would love to see Pakistan and India get along, because that's a very, very hot tinderbox.... That would be a very great thing. I hope they can do it," Trump said.

Islamabad said it did not comment on media reports usually but in this case it welcomed the mediation offer.

"We continue to urge our American friends including those in the administration to play their due role in resolving bilateral issues between Pakistan and India, particularly the Kashmir dispute," Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria told a weekly briefing.

"And definitely Pakistan has welcomed in the past also any role of mediation, we welcome such offers," Zakaria said.