Close X
Friday, November 29, 2024
ADVT 
International

If They Want Me To Intervene...": Donald Trump Rakes Up Kashmir Again

Darpan News Desk IANS, 02 Aug, 2019 09:15 PM

    As US President Donald Trump, in an off-hand manner, renewed his offer of mediation in the Kashmir issue, India on Friday firmly rejected the offer, saying that any discussion on Kashmir, if warranted, will only be with Pakistan, and only bilaterally.


    Hours after Trump told reporters in Washington that "it is up to Prime Minister Modi" to accept his offer to intervene in Kashmir, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, during a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Bangkok, conveyed "in clear terms that any discussion on Kashmir, if at all warranted, will only be with Pakistan and only bilaterally".


    Jaishankar tweeted: "Wide ranging discussions with @SecPompeo on regional issues. Have conveyed to American counterpart @SecPompeo this morning in clear terms that any discussion onKashmir, if at all warranted, will only be with Pakistan and only bilaterally."


    On Thursday, to a query by a reporter in the White House on the Kashmir issue, Trump, said: "Have they accepted the offer or not (to mediate)? Well, it is really up to Prime Minister Modi."


    Trump added: "And I met with Prime Minister Khan. I think they are fantastic people, Khan and Modi. I mean, I would imagine they can get along really well. But if they wanted somebody to intervene, or to help them; And I spoke with Pakistan about that, and I spoke frankly to India about that; but that's been going, that battle, for a long time. If I can, if they wanted to, I would certainly help them."


    Reacting to Trump's renewed offer, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi urged the US to use its "influence" to "persuade" India to start talks on the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue.


    Qureshi said that India was avoiding the talks and did not appear willing to negotiate on the matter.


    "India insists it is a bilateral matter, but it is not even willing to come to the table for talks," he said.


    "India won't agree easily to the Kashmir talks. We urge the US to exercise its influence and persuade India (to come to the table)," Qureshi said, adding that he will write a letter to the United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on the matter.


    On July 22, President Trump had set off a diplomatic storm after he said, during a press conference at the White House with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, that he would "love" to mediate on the Kashmir issue and that it had been suggested to him by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.


    India strongly rejected Trump's claim. "No such request was made," Jaishankar said in Parliament.


    The US administration had moved swiftly to counter the diplomatic embarrassment caused by Trump's claim, and acknowledged that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. The US administration clarified that it welcomes India and Pakistan sitting down to resolve the "bilateral" issue and the "US stands ready to assist".


    Pompeo, during his meeting with Imran Khan in Washington on July 23, had not mentioned Kashmir at all.

     

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Indian-Origin Man Put Up Toy Grenade In Singapore To See Reaction, Fined

    The prosecution asked for a fine of 4,500 dollars, saying it was not unreasonable to characterise Elankovan Marimuthu's behaviour as "irresponsible" in today's security climate.  

    Indian-Origin Man Put Up Toy Grenade In Singapore To See Reaction, Fined

    New India-UK Scheme To Fund Students From UK To Visit India

    A new India-UK bilateral pilot scheme has been launched to support Britain's universities to collaborate with Indian partners in order to send UK students to India during their studies.  

    New India-UK Scheme To Fund Students From UK To Visit India

    'Peculiar Object' Suspected To Be A Meteorite Lands In Bihar's Madhubani

    Madhubani District Magistrate, Shirsat Kapil Ashok said, "The object was found in Mahadeva village under Laukahi police station area on Monday evening."

    'Peculiar Object' Suspected To Be A Meteorite Lands In Bihar's Madhubani

    Rs 3 Crore Is The Price Of This Nike ‘Moon Shoe’ Sold In US

    They were the last shoes to sell in an auction of 100 pairs of trainers - from Adidas to Air Jordans - in New York.

    Rs 3 Crore Is The Price Of This Nike ‘Moon Shoe’ Sold In US

    40 Terror Groups Operated, Pak Governments Didn't Tell Truth : Imran Khan

    Part of the reason for this, Imran Khan explained to the lawmakers, was that the Pakistani governments were not in control.  

    40 Terror Groups Operated, Pak Governments Didn't Tell Truth : Imran Khan

    Kashmir 'Bilateral Issue', Washington 'Stands Ready To Assist': US After Trump's Offer

    Wells, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, acknowledged that Kashmir is a bilateral issue for both parties to discuss -- echoing India's consistent stand on the subject.  

    Kashmir 'Bilateral Issue', Washington 'Stands Ready To Assist': US After Trump's Offer