News Desk |
Prime Minister Imran Khan has called upon the US President Donald Trump to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir dispute. Analysts and observers believe that given Pakistan’s role in facilitating the Afghan peace process and a face-saving exit for the US troops in Afghanistan, Trump may have to intervene in the situation.
Tweeting from his official account, Prime Minister Imran Khan said, “President Trump offered to mediate on Kashmir. This is the time to do so as the situation deteriorates there and along the LOC with new aggressive actions being taken by Indian occupation forces. This has the potential to blow up into a regional crisis.”
President Trump offered to mediate on Kashmir. This is the time to do so as situation deteriorates there and along the LOC with new aggressive actions being taken by Indian occupation forces. This has the potential to blow up into a regional crisis.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 4, 2019
Political Solution for Kashmir
The premier urged the need for a peaceful political settlement for the people of Kashmir. He wrote, “It is time to end the long night of suffering for the people of Occupied Kashmir. They must be allowed to exercise their right to self-determination according to UNSC resolutions. The only road to peace & security in South Asia runs through a peaceful & just settlement of Kashmir.”
Qureshi observed that this decision has been implemented to undermine Trump’s offer to mediate, and show the international community that Kashmir is a part of India.
Earlier on 22nd July, addressing a joint-press conference with US President Trump in the Oval Office, the premier had reiterated Pakistan’s call for a peaceful political solution. President Trump had offered his assistance as a “mediator or an arbitrator” to help the two countries come to a political solution. He even claimed that the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has also asked him to play the role of a mediator.
India readily denied ever asking the US President to intervene or mediate, however, last week, Trump reinstated his offer, stating that the Kashmir dispute has gone unresolved for far too long.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi also reiterated Prime Minister Imran Khan’s request of assistance from Washington. The Foreign Minister noted that the ongoing situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir will be a major point of discussion during the meetings scheduled for the upcoming visit of a US delegation.
Read more: Will Trump be able to mediate on Kashmir?
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said, “Pakistan condemns & rejects announcements made today by Indian Government regarding Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. We intend to firmly highlight our stance in our meetings with the US delegation visiting Pakistan and with the International Community at large.”
Pakistan condemns & rejects announcements made today by Indian Government regarding Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. We intend to firmly highlight our stance in our meetings with the US delegation visiting Pakistan and with the International Community at large. 1/2
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) August 5, 2019
The Foreign Minister added, “Pakistan reaffirms its abiding commitment to the Kashmir cause and its political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir for the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination.”
Pakistan reaffirms it's abiding commitment to the Kashmir cause and its political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir for realization of their inalienable right to self-determination. 2/2 https://t.co/f6zBVKeoMJ
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) August 5, 2019
Modi Rattled by Trump Mediation?
Analysts from India and Pakistan state that the Modi-led government of India has been rattled by the comments made by the US President, and it also seeks to derail the Afghan peace process, which is alienating Kabul from New Delhi’s influence.
Commenting on Trump’s offer to mediate, Barkha Dutt, award-winning Indian journalist and commentator observed, “My common sense tells me that if the big move coming in Jammu and Kashmir was 35A, the GOI would have waited till after the Yatra. It’s clear that India is either reacting to something already in play or preempting something that may be coming. Afghanistan. Trump. Pakistan. China”
My common sense tells me that if the big move coming in Jammu and Kashmir was 35A, the GOI would have waited till after the yatra. Its clear that India is either reacting to something already in play or preempting something that may be coming. Afghanistan. Trump. Pakistan. China
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) August 4, 2019
It is important to note that two major political developments across the region, the Afghan peace process and revocation of Kashmir’s special constitutional status, which have intensified the need for US diplomatic intervention.
The coming days/weeks could bring 2 major developments w/big-time ramifications for regional stability.
-US-Taliban deal facilitated by Pakistan, leading (possibly) to a future Afg gov't with a Taliban role.
-India's abrogation of Article 35A for Kashmir.
This is serious stuff.— Michael Kugelman (@MichaelKugelman) August 3, 2019
Omar Qureshi, senior political commentator observed that the recent decision to scrape away the special constitutional status of Indian occupied Kashmir has been ushered in the light of the “excellent meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Trump.”
What has happened today is a consequence of the excellent meeting & interaction that Pakistan PM Imran Khan had with President Trump last month & the latter’s public offers (twice in 2 weeks) to mediate between India & Pak
The Govt of India has cut its nose to spite its face pic.twitter.com/QbyycGAHUt
— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) August 5, 2019
Qureshi observed that this decision has been implemented to undermine Trump’s offer to mediate, and show the international community that Kashmir is a part of India. The political commentator continued that this decision, especially the separation of Ladakh from Kashmir is in-line with the RSS-BJP strategy of altering the demographics of the Muslim-majority state of Kashmir into a Hindu-majority state.
India had the chance to change history by admitting that it asked Trump to mediate in Kashmir and then taking his public disclosure of this secret as a signal to start that process
Writing for Eurasia Future, Andrew Korybko, a Moscow-based political analyst, observed that India’s decision to scrape away Kashmir special constitutional status, and the aggressive security crackdown, will work against its own interests,
Korybko observed, “The country’s carefully crafted international image of supposedly being the peaceful land of Bollywood and yoga is shattered, and any revocation of Kashmir’s “autonomy” will return the region to being a global flash point, to say nothing of making it even more difficult for the military to indefinitely perpetuate its occupation in the face of heightened resistance from the locals.”
Andrew Korybko further noted that US President Donald Trump’s offer of mediation provided India with a unique opportunity to change the course of history, and settle a prolonged dispute that could trigger a major regional crisis. However, Korybko noted that India chose to “make a fool out of” Trump instead, by blatantly denying his engagement.
The Moscow-based political analyst noted, “India had the chance to change history by admitting that it asked Trump to mediate in Kashmir and then taking his public disclosure of this secret as a signal to start that process, but it instead tried to make a fool out of him by pretending that no such request was ever made.”
Read more: UN & OIC Urge Restraint: Indian Human Rights Violations Condemned
Korybko concluded, “Such strategic missteps as that one and the aforementioned risk isolating India even more in the international community and could even endanger its very existence in the event that they eventually lead to a hot war with Pakistan.”