The issue of Kashmir has been a constant point of political tension and cross-border conflict between India and Pakistan. A new political development in this context has added to the already controversial state of affairs between the two neighbours, and this time it has much to do with the United States.
During a recent meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and American President Donald Trump at the White House- Donald Trump is said to have offered his counsel in context of the India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir and even said that he had received a request to do so from Indian PM Modi during a recent meeting with him.
However, India has denied all such claims by American President Donald Trump and said that PM Modi had not asked Donald Trump to mediate between the two nations. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Ravesh Kumar said that no such request had been made by the Indian government to Donald Trump. He said “ We have seen President Trump’s remarks to the press that he is ready to mediate, if requested by India and Pakistan, on the Kashmir issue. No such request has been made by Prime Minister to the US President.”
He also asserted that India as a nation has always asserted that all its issues with its neighbours should only be discussed bilaterally and not by involving any third party. He also asserted that any engagement would Pakistan would first require both the nations to deal with the issue of cross-border terrorism and these issues can only be dealt bilaterally. He denied President Trump’s claims that the Indian Prime Minister had asked him ti intervene in the India- Pakistan conflict when the met at Osaka, Japan at the G-20 Summit last month.
President Trump said “ I would love to be a mediator. If I can do anything to help, let me know. I was with Prime Minster Modi two weeks ago and we talked about the subject(Kashmir. And he actually said, ‘would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator?’I said, ‘where?’(Modi said ‘Kashmir’.”
It is to be noted that India has totally refused to engage with Pakistan after the attack on its Air Force base in Pathankot in the month of January, asserting that talks and terrorism cannot go on simultaneously. This year too, tensions become particularly high between the two nations after Pakistani suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
