In July 2019, while taking questions from the press alongside visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Trump claimed that Indian Prime Minister Modi had earlier in the month asked the United States to play a mediator role in the Kashmir dispute. As noted above, such a request would represent a dramatic policy reversal for India. The US President’s statement provoked an uproar in India’s Parliament, with opposition members staging a walkout and demanding explanation. Quickly following Trump’s claim, Indian External Affairs Minister (Subrahmanyam) Jaishankar assured parliamentarians that no such request had been made, and he reiterated India’s position that “all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally” and that future engagement with Islamabad “would require an end to cross border terrorism.”
In an apparent effort to reduce confusion, a same-day social media post from the State Department clarified the US position that “Kashmir is a bilateral issue for both parties to discuss” and the Trump Administration “stands ready to assist.” A release from the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Engel, reiterated support for “the long-standing US position” on Kashmir, affirmed that the pace and scope of India- Pakistan dialogue is a bilateral determination, and called on Pakistan to facilitate such dialogue by taking “concrete and irreversible steps to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure on Pakistan’s soil.” An August 2 meeting of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Jaishankar in Thailand saw the Indian official directly convey to his American counterpart that any discussion on Kashmir, “if at all warranted,” would be strictly between India and Pakistan.
This story is from the March 01-07, 2020; Curious Case of Shah Faesal; Issue 48 Vol 11 edition of Kashmir Life.
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This story is from the March 01-07, 2020; Curious Case of Shah Faesal; Issue 48 Vol 11 edition of Kashmir Life.
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