A Washington-based US Congress’s think tank says India's unilateral changing of Kashmir’s status could harm regional stability.

A report titled “Kashmir: Background, Recent Developments, and US Policy”, released by the US Congressional Research Service, said India’s action of abrogating Article 370 and Article 35A of its Constitution sparked international outrage.

The report provides background of the Kashmir dispute, reviews several key developments last year, and closes with a summary of US policy and possible questions for the Congress.

The report said the United Nations and independent watchdog groups reported excessive use of force and other human rights abuses in occupied Kashmir.

It maintains that India’s secular traditions are suffering as its Hindu nationalist government appears to pursue Hindu majoritarian policies at some cost to the country’s religious minorities.

NNR/Khokhar/ Ahsan