NEW DELHI: Two diplomatic experts assert that US President Donald Trump’s offer on Kashmir mediation is not appreciated as the days of India-Pakistan hyphenation are over and Islamabad is not at par with New Delhi.
Former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Pinak Chakravarty said India should ignore Trump’s statement and not give it any importance.
Chakravarty said Trump made the statement keeping up American interests to exit from Afghanistan for which it needs Pakistan’s support.
“Trump’s primary goal is to get out of Afghanistan and that is what is driving his utterances. India should simply ignore what Trump has said. Trump is keeping this chatter to essentially keep Pakistan in good humour for its objective to exit Afghanistan. Pakistan is desperately trying to link everything to Kashmir. US is aware of this desperation and this statement has been made keeping that in view,” said Chakravarty.
Former Indian high commissioner to Pakistan TCA Raghavan said India and Pakistan cannot be put on the same pedestal.
“Regardless of what anyone says India and Pakistan are not at par. So, what Trump has said does not make a difference.”
The former diplomat added that India-Pakistan hyphenation are old frames of reference, which are no longer relevant.
“We are using old frames of reference to discuss the present. The hyphenation belongs to an older generation. Now the regional positions of both countries have superseded that question.”