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Trump, flanked by Imran Khan, offers Kashmir mediation for 3rd time if India, Pak agree

The US President said he has a ‘good relationship’ with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a ‘very good relationship’ with Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Trump, flanked by Imran Khan, offers Kashmir mediation for 3rd time if India, Pak agree

US President Donald Trump and Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan. (File Photo: IANS)

US President Donald Trump has once again, for the third time, reiterated his offer to mediate in the Kashmir issue, which India considers as its “internal matter”.

Describing himself as an “extremely good arbitrator”, Trump on Monday said that he was ready to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue if both sides agree on that.

Trump made the remarks during his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York.

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Addressing a press conference along with Khan, Trump said, “If I can help, I will certainly help,” he said. “If both (Pakistan and India) want, I am ready to do it”.

Terming the issue as a “complex” one and one that has been going on for a long time, Donald Trump said, “I am ready, willing and able. It’s a complex issue. It’s been going on for a long time. But if both want it, I will be ready to do it.”

The US President said he has “good relationship” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a “very good relationship” with Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Avoiding to directly answer a question about UN resolutions on Kashmir, Trump reiterated that he is ready to play his role in South Asia if both India and Pakistan are willing.

Trump met Imran Khan a day after attending the Howdy Modi event in Houston along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On being asked if he trusted Pakistan given its terrorism problem, Trump said: “I trust this gentleman right here and I do trust Pakistan.”

Following his talks with the US President, Imran Khan said: “Trump heads the most powerful country in the world. And the most powerful country in the world has a responsibility.

“I honestly feel that this crisis could become much bigger. We look to the US to put out flames in the world,” he said.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has stirred controversy with his statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “very aggressive” in his remarks about Pakistan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Sunday, at the Houston event, lashed out at Pakistan for supporting terrorism and making hatred towards India the hub of its governance.

Modi said that India’s neighbour is the breeding ground of terrorism, from 9/11 attacks in the US and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the entire world is aware of the source of the terror.

After offering to mediate in the Kashmir issue twice before, the White House in a statement last month said that Donald Trump is “ready to assist” India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue if both sides ask for it, while underlining that the US President is “very focused” on the situation in the Valley in view of its “broader implications”.

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after New Delhi abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories on August 5.

India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was an internal matter and also advised Pakistan to accept the reality.

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