New Delhi (NVI): There is no role for any third party in Kashmir issue and it has to be resolved bilaterally with Pakistan, India said today, two days after US President Donald Trump offered his “help” on the matter.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the government’s stand is clear on the issue and there is no scope for third party mediation.
“There is no role for any third party in this matter,” Kumar said at a media briefing while responding to a question about Trump raising Kashmir issue during his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Davos.
“If at all, there are any bilateral issues between India and Pakistan, that should be discussed, it needs to be done between the two countries under the provisions of Simla Agreement and Lahore Declaration. But again as we have said in the past the onus, is on Pakistan to create such conducive conditions,” the MEA spokesperson said.
On Tuesday, Trump had said that the US was watching the developments between India and Pakistan in relation to Kashmir “very closely”. He also offered his “help” to resolve the issue.
On Imran Khan’s remarks at Davos, the MEA spokesperson said, “We have seen reports about certain remarks on India and India-Pakistan relations made by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan at Davos. We are hardly surprised by the content and tone of his remarks.”
He said Khan’s comments “are not only factually inaccurate and contradictory but also demonstrate a growing sense of frustration.”
Kumar said Pakistan has to “realise that the global community has seen through this double-standard of playing the victim card in their fight against terror on the one hand, and supporting terror groups targeting India and other countries on the other.”
Kumar said that Pakistan has to take credible, irreversible and verifiable action against terror groups operating from its soil rather than making misleading and alarmist statements to divert the attention of the international community.
On January 16, India had slammed China for helping Pakistan in trying to raise the Kashmir issue at UNSC and asked Beijing to refrain from such actions in future. This was yet another instance of Pakistan facing global embarrassment for trying to misuse the UNSC platform to forward its Kashmir agenda.
