Mediation on J&K off the table as Trump calls for bilateral dialogue between India, Pakistan

President Donald Trump conveyed the importance of India and Pakistan reducing tensions through bilateral dialogue regarding the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, says the US.

File Photo

Donald Trump's offer to mediate between India and Pakistan is off the table as the US President has clearly told Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan that New Delhi and Islamabad have to resolve issues bilaterally.

Imran Khan had called President Trump on Friday ahead of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) consultation meetings on how to react to Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's letter.

A statement from White House Deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said, "The President conveyed the importance of India and Pakistan reducing tensions through bilateral dialogue regarding the situation in Jammu and Kashmir."

The development comes in the back of Indian Envoy to the United States, Harsh Shringla, in an interview to a private US channel saying, "President Trump has made it very clear that his offer to mediate on Jammu and Kashmir is dependent on both India and Pakistan accepting it."

"Since India has not accepted the offer of mediation, he has made it clear that this is not on the table anymore."

Last month, US President Donald Trump, while sitting next to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in White House, had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for mediation on Kashmir during a bilateral on the sidelines of Osaka G20 summit and he is willing to mediate. He reiterated the offer in early August.

This was dismissed by the Indian side with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar saying all bilateral issues between India and Pakistan were governed by Shimla and Lahore agreements under which no third-party mediation would be allowed.