Azad rejects Trump’s mediation offer, terms Kashmir “Bilateral” issue

SRINAGAR: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad responding to the Donald Trump’s remarks on the Kashmir issue, has said that Kashmir is a bilateral issue and no third party can intervene

Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Congress was ready to believe the prime minister’s side of the story over Trump’s claim on India requesting him to mediate the border dispute with Pakistan. However, he added that if Trump was lying then the prime minister need to appear in Parliament and clarify his stand himself.

Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “Ready to believe our PM, but because we have seen Pakistan PM speak to Donald Trump, we want our PM to come to parliament and say, this is false”.

“No matter which government was in power at Centre in past, our foreign policy has been that Kashmir is a bilateral issue and no third party can intervene. President Trump knows it and I don’t think he would tell Imran Khan that Modi has asked the US to mediate”, he added.

Ruckus has been created in the Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha after US President Donald Trump said that PM Modi asked him to mediate for India and Pakistan for the Kashmir issue.

On Monday, Trump stunned India by saying that Prime Minister Modi, during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, sought his help in resolving the Kashmir issue.

“I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago and we talked about this subject (Kashmir). And he actually said, ‘would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator?’ I said, ‘where?’ (Modi said) ‘Kashmir’,” Trump said during his talks with Khan, their first since the latter came to power in August 2018.

“I think they (Indians) would like to see it resolved. I think you would like to see it resolved. And if I can help, I would love to be a mediator. It should be….we have two incredible countries that are very, very smart with very smart leadership, (and they) can’t solve a problem like that. But if you would want me to mediate or arbitrate, I would be willing to do that,” Trump said.

“So all those issues should be resolved. So, he (Modi) has to ask me the same thing. So maybe we’ll speak to him. Or I’ll speak to him and we’ll see if we can do something,” Trump said.

Khan welcomed these remarks. “President, I can tell you that, right now, you would have the prayers of over a billion people if you can mediate and resolve this issue,” he said.

In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs was quick to deny that Modi ever asked for a mediation on Kashmir. (PTK)