Delhi:
India once again told the US in ‘clear terms’ that nay discussion on Kashmir will be with Pakistan only. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took to Twitter to make the statement hours after reports came that US President Donald Trump reiterated the Kashmir mediation offer. In a series of tweets, Jaishankar posted pictures of his meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Tagging Pompeo, Jaishankar wrote, “Wide ranging discussions with @SecPompeo on regional issues. Have conveyed to American counterpart @SecPompeo this morning in clear terms that any discussion on Kashmir, if at all warranted, will only be with Pakistan and only bilaterally.”
Have conveyed to American counterpart @SecPompeo this morning in clear terms that any discussion on Kashmir, if at all warranted, will only be with Pakistan and only bilaterally.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 2, 2019
Trump reignited the mediation debate with his statement today. Addressing media’s queries about Trump’s offer and subsequent reactions form the two nuclear neighbours in south Asia. "It's really up to Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi (to accept the offer of mediation)," Trump said. When asked about India's rejection of his mediation offer, Trump sought a clarification. "Have they accepted the offer or not?" "I think they are fantastic people - Khan and 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," Trump said.
India has been maintaining that the Kashmir issue was a bilateral one and no third party has any role. Khan welcomed Trump's remarks and said if the US agrees, prayers of more than a billion people will be with him. He was accompanied by Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi among others.
India has not been engaging with Pakistan since an attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in January of 2016 by Pakistan-based terrorists, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.
