KATHMANDU, Aug. 24 -- Pakistan has asked Nepal to play its role as the chair of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) for peace and stability in the region amid its renewed tension with India after New Delhi altered the status of Jammu and Kashmir.

In his telephone conversation with Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali on Thursday afternoon, Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi also urged Nepal to "impress upon India to ease the suffering of the people of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir", according a statement issued by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry. Qureshi said that the steps taken by India entailed a grave risk for peace and security in the region.

The conversation between the two forei...