NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday reiterated that there is no role for any third party mediation on the Kashmir issue and said that the onus lies on Pakistan to create a conducive environment for talks.
The statement from the MEA came in response to US President Donald Trump’s latest offer for mediation on the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan. ”Our position on the Kashmir issue and third-party mediation has been very clear and consistent. Let me reiterate that there is no role for any third party in this matter,” MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said while referring to President Trump’s latest mediation offer.
The MEA oficial further said that the onus lies on Pakistan to imporove bilateral ties with India. ”Pakistan will have to understand that the global community has understood their double standards.
They claim that they are victims of terror, on the other hand, they shelter the perpetrators,” the MEA official said.
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”If indeed Pakistan, as they have said, want to have a relation, they will have to create a conducive condition,” he said while asking ”Why can’t they take credible, verifiable action against the terrorists.”
Raveesh Kumar said that if there are any bilateral issues between India and Pakistan that needs to be discussed, it should be done between the 2 countries under provisions of Shimla Agreement and Lahore Declaration.”
”If Pakistan wants peaceful relations with India it depends on them only. Why Islamabad is not able to take concrete actions on terrorism. I think they need to resolve problems of their nation first,” the MEA spokesperson said.
New Delhi’s long-held position has been that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and there is no question of any mediation or intervention by any third party, he added.
Addressing the media with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Davos on Tuesday, Trump had said that the US was watching the developments relating to Kashmir “very closely” and repeated his offer to “help” resolve the dispute.
It was Trump’s fourth offer in the last five months to help both the countries resolve the Kashmir issue after India withdrew the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two union territories.
“What’s going on between Pakistan and India? if we can help, we certainly will be willing to. We have been watching it very closely,” Trump said.
Source: Zee News