‘Surprised by India’s reaction’: Imran Khan on Trump’s Kashmir mediation offer

Pakistan Prime Minister said generations of Kashmiris have suffered and need ‘conflict’ resolution.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said he was surprised by India’s reaction to President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate on Kashmir.

US President Donald Trump had offered to mediate between India and Pakistan on Kashmir when he hosted Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House on Monday. (REUTERS)

“Surprised by reaction of India to Pres Trump’s offer of mediation to bring Pak & India to dialogue table for resolving Kashmir conflict which has held subcontinent hostage for 70 yrs. Generations of Kashmiris have suffered & are suffering daily and need conflict resolution,” Khan tweeted.

In his initial remarks with Khan at the White House on Monday, Trump offered to help resolve the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan and even claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had requested for mediation on Kashmir when they met a few weeks ago in Osaka.

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India has rejected Trump’s claim with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar telling Parliament that PM Modi made no such request. New Delhi’s has consistently said that there is no need for third-party mediation on Kashmir.

Shortly after Trump’s claim, Washington also backtracked saying it would assist in India-Pakistan talks if both sides wanted and reiterated America’s earlier stand that Kashmir was a ‘bilateral issue’.

Imran Khan made no mention of Washington reverting to its earlier position on Kashmir, virtually putting Trump’s mediation offer in cold storage.