Pakistan welcomes, India rejects US offer
washington — The US offer to help de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan led to a chain of reactions, as Pakistan welcomed the suggestion, India rejected it and the US State Department rephrased the offer to facilitate talks to accommodate both, reports Dawn online.
“Any positive role that the US plays to bring peace and stability in South Asia can serve the region well,” said Pakistan’s Washington envoy Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, hours after Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, made the offer.
“It’s absolutely right that this administration is concerned about the relationship between India and Pakistan and very much wants to see how we de-escalate any sort of conflict going forward,” she said while addressing a news conference in New York on Monday after the US assumed the presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of April.
India has consistently ruled out third party mediation, including by the UN or the US.
Pakistan, however, welcomes international mediation and regularly raises the Kashmir issue at different UN fora. Islamabad also encourages the US and the UN to help resolve its disputes with India.
A State Department spokesperson, when contacted by Dawn, explained the US position on facilitating talks between the two countries. US ambassador to UN hints that Trump administration will participate in talks aimed at resolving differences between the two countries
“We believe India and Pakistan stand to benefit from practical cooperation. We encourage India and Pakistan to engage in direct dialogue aimed at reducing tensions,” the spokesperson said.
On Tuesday, Gopal Baglay, a spokesman for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, snubbed Ambassador Haley for hinting that Washington was ready to mediate.
“The government’s position for bilateral redressal of all India-Pakistan issues in an environment free of terror and violence hasn’t changed,” he said, although in the same statement he asked the international community to persuade Pakistan to stop alleged cross-border terrorist attacks from its soil.
“We, of course, expect the international community and organisations to enforce international mechanisms and mandates concerning terrorism emanating from Pakistan, which continues to be the single biggest threat to peace and stability in our region and beyond,” he said.