India and Pakistan can resolve differences bilaterally: Trump
The US president offered no comment on Indias decision to scrap autonomy of IoK.
BIARRTIZ (Dunya News) – United States President Donald Trump on Monday while refraining from repeating his offer to mediate between India and Pakistan over Kashmir said that both countries can resolve differences bilaterally.
In a joint media interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, Trump said that he was confident that India and Pakistan would resolve issues bilaterally, in a reversal from his earlier stated position.
“We already spoke about Kashmir issue at the G7 Summit dinner. The Indian prime minister (Modi) said that he has it under control. They speak to Pakistan and I am sure that they will be able to do something that will be very good.” Trump said this when asked if he had discussed the Kashmir issue with PM Modi.
“I’m here. I have a good relations with both. If there’s any reason, but I think that they can do it themselves. They’ve been doing it for a long time,” Trump said.
The US president offered no comment on India’s decision to scrap autonomy in the state of occupied Jammu and Kashmir where Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has imposed severe restrictions on movement and communications since Aug 5.
India had rebuffed President Trump’s offer last month to intervene between the south Asian nations, which have long-running tensions centering on Kashmir, an area that’s claimed in full -- and ruled in part -- by both.
Trump offers mediation
US President Donald Trump had offered to mediate the "explosive" situation in Kashmir amid mounting international concern over a flare-up in violence between India and Pakistan in the divided region.
Speaking a day after phone calls with the premiers of both countries, Trump said he was happy to try and help calm the situation in Kashmir where tensions have spiked since India revoked autonomous rule in the part of the region it controls on August 5.
His comments came as Pakistan said three of its civilians died in Indian gunfire from across the de facto border in Kashmir known as the Line of Control.
And the Press Trust of India news agency quoted officials as saying one Indian soldier died and four were wounded when Pakistani troops opened fire on forward posts and villages along the LoC in the Poonch district on Tuesday.
Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers and the situation in Kashmir is further complicated by the fact that China also claims part of the Himalayan region.
Trump -- who has previously spoken of his willingness to mediate -- said he would raise the situation over the weekend with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both men are expected in France for a summit of the Group of Seven industralized nations.
"Kashmir is a very complicated place. You have Hindus and you have the Muslims and I wouldn t say they get along so great," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I will do the best I can to mediate," he added.
India revokes Kashmir s special status
On August 5, the Indian government had revoked the special status accorded to occupied Kashmir in its constitution, the most far-reaching political move on the disputed region in nearly 70 years.
A presidential decree issued on August 5 revoked Article 370 of India s constitution that guaranteed special rights to the Muslim-majority state, including the right to its own constitution and autonomy to make laws on all matters except defence, communications and foreign affairs.
In the lead-up to the move, India sent thousands of additional troops to the disputed region, imposed a crippling curfew, shut down telecommunications and internet, and arrested political leaders.
The move has worsened the already-heightened tensions with neighbouring Pakistan, which said it would downgrade its diplomatic relations with India.
