New Delhi: There is no role for any third party in the Kashmir issue which has to be resolved bilaterally with Pakistan and the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment for engagement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Thursday.
The ministry’s assertion came in response to US President Donald Trump’s fresh offer to ‘help’ in resolving the issue.
“There is no role for any third party in the Kashmir issue,” MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Wednesday when asked about Trump’s offer. “Our position has been clear and consistent on Kashmir… It is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan,” asserted Kumar.
Addressing the media Tuesday with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Davos, Trump said that the US was watching the developments related to Kashmir ‘very closely’ and repeated his offer to ‘help’ resolve the matter.
Pakistan’s attempt to create an alarmist situation in Kashmir failed and the global community understands its double standards, he said in response to another question.
“There is nothing new in what Imran Khan had said at the WEF. His remarks suggest that he is desperate and rapidly losing hope. The global community can now see through Pakistan’s double standards. While it pretends to be victims of terrorism on the one hand, it fosters extremists who spread terrorism in India and other countries on the other hand,” pointed out Kumar.
The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson also asserted that the the World Economic Forum was not an appropriate platform to discuss such issues.
Agencies