Trump to Imran Khan: can’t mediate on Kashmir without India’s consent

New Delhi: In a press conference on Monday just after the bilateral talks between the USA and Pakistan, Donald Trump politely refused to heed Pakistan’s plea to arbitrate on the Kashmir issue.

“ If I can help, I would certainly do that. It will be dependent on both of these gentlemen (Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Imran Khan),” Trump said while answering the question on if he will mediate on the Kashmir issue or not.

In an unimaginable and unprecedented move, India had abrogated article 370 on August 5, which removed the Kashmir’s special status and converted it like any other state in India. This action sent shock waves across Pakistan leaving them utterly baffled.

Pakistan has been raising the Kashmir issue on every possible forum to earn some sympathy and to attract the world’s attention to its fabricated story about alleged humanitarian crisis, lock down situation and atrocities being committed on the people of Kashmir, but it appears that its sob story is not gaining any traction.

Even Donald Trump has politely refused to entertain any possibility of intervening in the Kashmir. He even acknowledged the unwillingness of India to engage in any such mediation process.

“ One without the other does not work, if you want to do the mediation or if you want to do the arbitration. But I would certainly want to help if both India and Pakistan would want to do that. It’s a complex issue, but if both want it, I would be willing to do that,” he said.

“ You have to have two parties that want to agree…At some point, India may come. I have a very good relationship with Prime Minister Modi. I have a very good relationship with Prime Minister Khan, and if at any time they say, you know, we have some points that we can, maybe, iron out, I think I’d be an extremely good arbitrator,” added Trump.

Donald Trump praised himself on his outstanding ability to arbitrate in any kind of dispute but he also mentioned at the same time that any such arbitration requires the willingness of both sides. Without any positive inclination from the parties to any dispute any mediation process is meaningless.

“I have done it before, believe it or not. And I’ve never failed as an arbitrator, I’ve been asked to arbitrate disputes— pretty big ones—from friends and I’ve done it in a good, successful fashion…If I can be of help …but also have to have the assent from the other sides,” he said.

Earlier, Pakistan has tried to raise the Kashmir issue on various forums— UNSC, Maldives parliament, at the UNICEF South Asian Parliamentarian Conference, Pakistani PM Imran Khan even visited many countries to apprise them of the alleged human rights violations being committed by India in Kashmir but without any success.

It is almost ironic that the wailing and cries of the minorities, Shia mushlims, people of Balochistan,and POK have failed to evoke even a smaller reaction from him but non-existent atrocities committed by India has made him shedding false tears.