As Trump Backtracks On Kashmir Mediation, Pakistan Urges US To Persuade India

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday, while talking to journalists in his country, said that India has raised questions on the US’ offer to initiate mediation talks.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi / Image tweeted by @ForeignOfficePk

New Delhi: After US President Donald Trump in an apparent retreat, said that the issue of Kashmir is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan and that it is up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept the US offer of mediation on the issue, Pakistan on Friday urged it to persuade India for mediation talks. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday, while talking to journalists in his country, said that India has raised questions on the US’ offer to initiate mediation talks, news agency IANS reported. Qureshi also said that India is avoiding talks on this issue and does not seem willing to address the matter. "Trump has given the mediation proposal in view of the regional situation, and we thank him for this. India will not agree to negotiate easily. We appeal to the US to use its influence to persuade India to start talks,” the report quoted him as saying. He also said that he is going to write a letter to the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres in this regard. His remarks come at a time when Trump has said that "it is up to Prime Minister Modi" to accept America's offer to intervene in the Kashmir issue while India has clearly rejected mediation on the matter. Last week, Trump had made a stunning claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked him to mediate on the vexed issue during their meeting in Japan, evoking a sharp reaction from India which denied Modi making any such request.