Trump's Kashmir Claim Highlights: Opposition uproar in RS; EAM Jaishankar denies claims

Hours after US President Donald Trump offered mediation between India and Pakistan on Kashmir issue, Pakistan PM Imran Khan made a statement saying the issue can never be resolved bilaterally . The issue has now been escalated and opposition parties are creating ruckus over Trump's claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate in Kashmir issue.

Background

Washington: Buoyed by US President Donald Trump's offer of mediation on Kashmir, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that the contentious issue between the two South Asian neighbours can never be resolved bilaterally. Khan's statement came hours after Trump offered to be the "mediator" between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue as the two leaders met at the White House where they discussed a host of issues, including the Afghan peace process.The Indian government has denied Trump's astonishing claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate. Khan, who is on a three-day official visit to the US, welcomed Trump's offer of mediation. "Bilaterally there will never be (a resolution of the Kashmir dispute)," Khan told Fox News, the favourite channel of president trump."There was one point when there was General (Pervez) Musharraf and Prime Minister (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee of India when we did get close to the resolution of the Kashmiri issue. But since then we are poles apart and I really feel that India should come on the table; US could play a big part. President Trump certainly can play a big part," Khan said hours after he met Trump at his Oval Office for the first time at the White House."We are talking about 1.3 billion people on this earth. Imagine the dividends of peace if somehow that issue could be resolved," Khan said when the Fox news anchor read out the Indian statement that it has been India's consistent position that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally.ALSO READ: Ex-diplomats Feel Trump's Kashmir Mediation Remarks May Hit Indo-US Ties"Any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross border terrorism. The Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India and Pakistan bilaterally," India said on Monday, refuting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ever asked for US mediation on Kashmir.ALSO READ: India Rejects Donald Trump's Offer On Kashmir, MEA Clarifies PM Narendra Modi Never Made Such RequestKhan welcomed Trump's remarks, saying "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".Responding to another question, Khan said Pakistan will give up its nuclear weapons if India did so. "Yes, because nuclear war is not an option. Between Pakistan and India, the idea of nuclear war is actually self-destruction because we have two-and-a-half thousand-mile border."I think there's a realisation in the subcontinent that and (if) there was some incident happened last February and we again had tensions at the border... So, there's a realisation and that's why I asked, president Trump that if he could play his role, the US as the most powerful country in the world, the only country that could mediate between Pakistan and India and resolve the only issue is Kashmir," he said.ALSO READ: US Lawmaker Apologises For Trump's Remark, Others Support India's Stand On Kashmir"The only reason for 70 years that we have not been able to live like civilised neighbours is because of Kashmir," Khan said. India has not been engaging with Pakistan since an attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in January of 2016 by Pakistan-based terrorists, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together. ALSO READ: Trump Admin Launches Damage Control After US President's Remark, Says Kashmir A Bilateral Issue Between India, Pakistan Early this year, tensions flared up between India and Pakistan after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed killed 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir's Pulwama district.Amid mounting outrage, the Indian Air Force carried out a counter-terror operation, hitting the biggest JeM training camp in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan on February 26.

23/07/2019 16:11:21

BJP terms opposition's stand on Trump's Kashmir claim as 'irresponsible'


The BJP on Tuesday termed as inappropriate and irresponsible, the opposition parties' demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement on US President Donald Trump's Kashmir claim and accused them of putting politics above national interest.
Senior party leader Prakash Javadekar told reporters that the row over Trump's comments that Modi wanted him to mediate with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue should have ended with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's statement in Parliament in which he stoutly denied the US president's claim.

23/07/2019 15:59:57

Mehbooba Says Trump's Kashmir Mediation Remark Is Huge Policy Shift




PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said US President Donald Trump's disclosure on third party mediation on Kashmir is a huge policy shift and India and Pakistan must seize the opportunity to forge peace through dialogue.


Despite GOI refuting idea of third party mediation on J&K, the disclosure made by Trump marks a huge policy shift. Even though USA doesn't hold a great record in resolving protracted conflicts, hope both countries seize this opportunity to forge peace through dialogue, Mehbooba, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said in a tweet.

23/07/2019 15:51:35

GN Azad,Congress in Rajya Sabha said: Neither the PM responds nor any of his ministers have courage to tell him that if MPs want him to come to the House,it's his duty to come. It didn't happen in last 6 yrs, it didn't happen today.


Opposition MPs staged a walkout following this.

23/07/2019 13:48:13

Unfortunate that a sitting Minister of a state government does not even give benefit of doubt to his own country's Prime Minister. Gone are the days of spineless leadership of the Congress era, Sir. If you haven't realized yet, it's PM Sri
@narendramodi who is leading us today: BJP MP Tejaswi Surya

23/07/2019 13:02:22

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took on Twitter and sought PM Modi’s reaction on Trump’s claims. ‘President Trump says PM Modi asked him to mediate between India & Pakistan on Kashmir! If true, PM Modi has betrayed India’s interests & 1972 Shimla Agreement. A weak Foreign Ministry denial won’t do. PM must tell the nation what transpired in the meeting between him & @POTUS’ he said.

23/07/2019 12:36:58

Manish Tewari, Congress in Lok Sabha: Yesterday's statement by US President Trump, in the presence of Pakistan PM Imran Khan, that PM Modi had asked him to mediate on the Kashmir issue, is like a blow to the unity of India. We would like to demand that the PM comes to the House and clarifies if such a conversation took place between the two. If it didn't, he should say that the US President is giving false statements and is lying about Kashmir.

23/07/2019 12:13:08

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 PM, following an uproar by Opposition MPs where there were raising slogans of 'Pradhanmantri jawab do,jawab do,jawab do'. They're seeking a reply from PM in Parliament on statement of US President that PM Modi had asked him to mediate in Kashmir issue

23/07/2019 12:05:20

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on being asked if Congress will seek a reply from PM in Parliament on 'statement of US President Trump that PM Modi had asked Trump to mediate in Kashmir issue': You will see it in the House. We will raise the issue and Congress is raising now also.

23/07/2019 11:27:39

Vice President Naidu urged the Rajya Sabha MPs from opposition parties to maintain calm in the house and 'not turn a national issue into a political issue' after a ruckus was created in the house over US President Donald Trump's claims. VP Naidu asked the MPs to trust their own PM than trusting US president.

23/07/2019 11:25:49

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar issues clarification in the parliament on US President Donald Trump's claims that Indian PM Modi sought help from him on mediation between India and Pakistan on Kashmir issue. Assuring the house that no such statement has been made by PM, EAM said 'categorically assure the House no such request has been made by the Prime Minister to the US President.'

23/07/2019 11:13:41

Opposition MPs create an uproar in the Lok Sabha over the statement of US President Donald Trump that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate in Kashmir issue.