Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Donald Trump
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's US visit has stirred the Kashmir issue as United States President Donald Trump claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to intervene in the long-standing matter.
Trump at a media briefing with the visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Washington offered to mediate on the Kashmir issue, saying that PM Modi had broached the subject with him during their meeting in Osaka, Japan, last month.
Trump said: "I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago, and we talked about the subject. And he actually said, 'would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator', and I said 'where?', and he said 'Kashmir', because this has been going on for many, many years. I was surprised for how long it has been going on," to which Imran Khan interjected to say "70 years".
"I think they (India) would like to see it resolved, and I think you (Pakistan) would like to see it resolved. And if I can help, I would love to be mediator," Trump said.
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Meanwhile, India has outrightly rejected Trump's assertion, citing PM Modi had never made such a request to him, and stressed that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are "discussed only bilaterally".
Following this, the Trump administration even launched a damage control exercise, saying it was a "bilateral" issue between India and Pakistan, and the US "welcomes" the two countries "sitting down" for talks.
It also said Pakistan taking "sustained and irreversible" steps against terrorism was key to a successful dialogue with India.
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