US President Donald Trump on Tuesday reiterated his offer to mediate between India and Pakistan to resolve the bilateral tensions, saying that the two countries have been working on Kashmir for a long time.
“There has been difficulty in Pakistan and we’re seeing what we can do about it. Anything I can do to mediate, and to help I would. They’re working on Kashmir,” he told a press conference in New Delhi. “We talked a lot about it at length today (Tuesday). No question it is a problem. They are working on it. I said I will do whatever I can do to help because my relationship with both gentlemen [Prime Minister Imran Khan and Indian PM Narendra Modi] is so good. Anything I can do to mediate, I would do,” he said. “They [Pakistan] are working on Kashmir. Kashmir has been a thorn in lots of people’s sides for a long time. There are two sides to every story. We discussed terrorism at length today (Tuesday),” he added.
However, when pressed further by a reporter about India’s past rejection of his offers, Trump said, “I didn’t say anything about that [being a mediator]. Kashmir obviously is a big problem between India and Pakistan, they are going to work out their problem. They have been doing it for a long time.”
In response to a question, Trump said that he discussed the issue of religious freedom in India, saying that he got a very ‘powerful answer’ from the Indian prime minister. “We talked about religious liberty for a long time, in front of a lot of people and I had a very, very powerful answer from him [Modi],” he said.
When asked about India’s controversial citizenship law, Trump said he did not want to comment on it. “I want to leave that to India and hopefully they will make the right decision for the people,” he said. “You have been criticised for your policies against Muslims, so were you in a position to talk about the current Indian polices,” asked a reporter. At this, the US president replied, “I won the travel ban, and we use it where we think it is necessary, and not based on a religion. We won it in the Supreme Court and we bar those people from travelling to our country who might hurt our citizens,” he said.
Commenting on President Tump’s remarks about Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the US president’s acknowledgment of Pakistan’s positive role in war against terrorism has buried the Indian narrative. In a series of tweets, she said that Trump’s statement is open admission of Pakistan’s efforts for peace in the world. She said that the acknowledgment is also proof of Pakistan’s successful foreign policy.
She urged Indian Prime Minister Modi to stop fanning the fire of hatred and bias in the region and India itself. She said that use of brute force by Indian government against the protest demonstrations against Citizen Amendment Act in the presence of US president in India has exposed the real face of India.
She said that the entire world has seen that Modi as an extremist is spreading hatred and creating war hysteria whereas Pakistan’s image has improved under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
A day earlier, President Trump had said that his country had a very good relationship with Pakistan and that Washington was working with Islamabad in a very positive way.
“Since taking office, my administration is working in a very positive way with Pakistan,” Trump had said while addressing the Namaste Trump event in Ahmedabad alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Our relationship with Pakistan is a very good one. Thanks to these efforts we are beginning to see signs of big progress with Pakistan and we are hopeful for reduced tensions, greater stability and the future of harmony for all of the nations of South Asia,” he had said.