Trump finds it hard to avoid Kashmir mediation, says he is still willing
02 Aug 2019
Donald Trump on Thursday repeated an earlier offer to mediate in Kashmir dispute, but said it’s ‘really up to PM Modi’. Last month, the US president had claimed that Narendra Modi had requested him to mediate in the dispute. India had immediately dismissed the claim.
During his joint media appearance with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Oval Office, Donald Trump stunned India by claiming that Prime Minister Modi had sought his mediation/arbitration on the Kashmir issue.
Trump’s repeat offer comes after India expressed ‘grave concern’ over US military assistance to Pakistan. Last week, the Pentagon notified the US Congress that it had decided to approve military sales of $125 million to Islamabad.
The US President said it was up to India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue but he was ready to assist if the two countries wanted him to help in resolving the decades-old dispute. Trump was referring to his last week's meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, wherein he offered to help to resolve the Kashmir issue.
India has rejected the offer making it clear that there can't be any third party intervention on the issue. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed Parliament that Prime Minister Modi never made such a request.
"It is really up to Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi (to accept the offer of mediation)," Donald Trump told reporters responding to a question on India not accepting his offer of mediation on Kashmir.
"Have they accepted the offer or not?", Trump sought a clarification when asked about India's rejection of his mediation offer.
"I think they are fantastic people - (Imran) Khan and (Narendra) Modi - I mean, I would imagine they could get along very well, but if they wanted somebody to intervene, to help them.... and I spoke with Pakistan about that and I spoke frankly in (sic) India about it," Donald Trump said.
He said that the issue of Kashmir had been going on for a long time.
When asked how would he "want to resolve the Kashmir issue", Donald Trump said, "If I can, if they wanted me to, I would certainly intervene." However, Pakistan welcomed it.