Ahead of talks with Modi, Trump again offers to mediate between India and Pakistan
New York, Sept 24 (IBNS): United States President Donald Trump has once again offered to mediate to help resolve the differences between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue even as New Delhi had rejected the proposal before also.
This comes ahead of Trump's meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bilateral talks in New York.
"I think as far as Pakistan is concerned, India, they're talking, I'm certainly willing to help. I think they would in a certain way like my help. But they've to both want it. They have very different views and I'm concerned about it," he told reporters ahead of his address to the UN General Assembly.
This comes less than 24 hours after Trump made a similar offer to Pakistan President Imran Khan during a meeting on Monday.
Addressing a joint press briefing before his talks with Imran Khan, President Trump said if both India and Pakistan wanted him to mediate on Kashmir, he was "ready, willing and able".
"If I can help, I will certainly help... If both (India and Pakistan) want, I am ready to do it... I have very good relationship with Prime Minister Modi. I have very good relationship with Prime Minister Khan... I would be an extremely good arbitrator. I have never failed as an arbitrator," said the US President.
India had already turned down the offer in the past as well stating that Kashmir is an internal issue of the country and no involvement of any third party can be accepted.
Earlier, PM Modi in the presence of US President Donald Trump said that the Kashmir issue had been discussed between the two leaders. He agreed that the issues between India and Pakistan are 'bilateral in nature' and as Modi said, both nations could sort them out.
"The issues of India and Pakistan are bilateral. I believe together we can sort out our issues," Modi had told media with Trump sitting by his side with his body language all through clearly indicating that India got an upper hand in Kashmir diplomacy.
Kashmir Issue:
The Indian government scrapped the Article 370 which provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
The government bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir with an assembly and Ladakh without an assembly.
Article 35A of the Indian Constitution allowed the Jammu and Kashmir state's legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and also provided special rights and privileges to those permanent residents.
Article 370 allowed Jammu and Kashmir to have its own constitution, flag and right to handle its own laws except on matters that impact national security.
The decision had further escalated tension between India and Pakistan in recent times.
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