Donald Trump asks Imran Khan to resolve issues via bilateral talks with India

China and Pakistan's attempt to rake up the Kashmir issue at UNSC also fell flat.

New Delhi: United States President's offer to mediate between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue is off the table with Donald Trump asking Islamabad to resolve issues bilaterally with New Delhi. 

READ: China-Pakistan attempt to rake up Kashmir at UNSC falls flat

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had called President Trump on Friday ahead of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) consultation meeting to discuss the country's foreign minister SM Qureshi's letter on Kashmir.

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 amid Indian envoy to the United States Harsh Vardhan Shringla's interview to a private US channel stating, "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," he added.

Meanwhile, China and Pakistan's attempt to rake up Kashmir issue at the United Nations found no support at the closed-door United Nations Security Council consultative meet, which was called to discuss India's move to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir nearly two weeks back.

The UNSC consultative meeting was called at the request of China, which took up the letter written by Pakistani Foreign Minister earlier this week in the aftermath of New Delhi's decision to abrogate Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

In a major snub to Pakistan, India's permanent representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin said that Kashmir is India's internal matter and the Narendra Modi government's move to scrap Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir has no external ramifications.

Last month, US President Donald Trump, during a press brief with Khan in the White House, claimed said that PM Modi had asked him to mediate on Kashmir issue during their meet on the sidelines of Osaka G20 Summit. He offered his help to mediate on the Kashmir issue.

This was dismissed by India with External Affairs Minister Jaishankar saying all bilateral issues between the two nations are governed by Simla and Lahore agreements under which no third party mediation will be allowed.