BackDonald Trump again offers to mediate between India and Pakistan on Kashmir
The comments come just before a meeting between Trump and the Pakistan PM Imran Khan on the sidelines of the UNGA in New YorkTrump says if both countries want he is ready to mediate on the Kashmir issue
PremiumNEW DELHI : US President Donald Trump on Monday yet again offered to intervene between India and Pakistan on Kashmir stating that he was “ready, willing and able" to mediate if both countries wanted it.
The comments came just before a meeting between Trump and the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
“I am ready, willing and able. It's a complex issue. It's being going on for a long time. But if both want it, I will be ready to do it," Trump told reporters according to news agency ANI.
“Want to see everyone treated well in Kashmir; I can be a good arbitrator," Trump said according to another news report on NDTV.
The offer comes a day before Trump is to meet Modi on 24 September —their second in three days. Modi and Trump had on Sunday taken part in the “Howdy Modi" event in Houston soon after the Indian prime minister’s arrival in the US.
This is not the first time that Trump has offered to mediate between India and Pakistan. He first offered talks on 22 July during a White House meeting with Khan when the US president also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sought his mediation.
This was immediately denied by India. On the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Biarritz in France, Modi had politely but firmly rejected Trump’s offer to mediate.
Pakistan though has been making all out efforts for third party mediation on the Kashmir issue especially after New Delhi revoked a temporary article in its constitution and integrated the Indian administered part closely to the rest of the country on 5-6 August. Tensions between the two countries have risen since then with Pakistan expressing fears that the strains could spiral out of control and result in a nuclear conflict and calling on the international community to mediate.
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