Trump says Pakistan-India tensions 'less heated' now, repeats mediation offer

 

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the relationship between Pakistan and India is ‘less heated’ than it was two weeks ago and once again offered to mediate between the two countries.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said, "India and Pakistan are having a conflict over Kashmir as you know. I think [it] is a little bit less heated right now than [what] it was two weeks ago.”

“I get along with both countries very well,” Trump said, adding “I am willing to help them if they want. They know that. That [offer] is out there."

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after New Delhi abolished Article 370 of the constitution which granted special status to the occupied valley on August 5.

Last month, the US president had offered to mediate between Pakistan and India on the Kashmir dispute.

Trump said he would do his best "to meditate or do something" regarding the tensions between India and Pakistan over the disputed Himalayan region.

Earlier, Trump had offered to mediatebetween Pakistan and India on Kashmir during Prime Minister Imran Khan's inaugural visit to US, however, India had rejected the offer making it clear that there can't be any third-party intervention on the issue. Pakistan, however, had welcomed it.

During President Trump’s recent meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G7 summit in France, the US leader had again offered to mediate between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. 

On the sidelines of the G7 summit, Trump raised the issue of occupied Kashmir with Modi expressing hope that something positive would come out of talks between Pakistan and India.

According to Reuters, US President Trump said Pakistan and India could handle their dispute over Kashmir on their own, but he was there should they need him.

“We spoke on Kashmir, the prime minister [Modi] feels like he has it under control. They speak with Pakistan and I am sure that they will be able to do something that will be very good,” Trump told reporters.

Modi had said issues between New Delhi and Islamabad were bilateral. “All issues between India and Pakistan are bilateral, which is why we don’t bother any other country regarding them… I am confident that we can discuss our problems and solve them together.”

Why are many people angry with Narendra Modi?

 

 

There should be a fine balance between promise and delivery. Modi has failed badly on this. He over-promises and under-delivers…be it tackling of black money or creation of jobs. You can't control black economy by introduction of higher denomination currency notes i.e. 2000 rupee or anonymous electoral bonds or by adding to a long list of arbitrary powers of govt officials. No real action on retail corruption is another failure.

Secondly, if you can't make things better off, you should at least don't make them worse off. Extending support price coverage without backed by effective procurement falls under this categories. Addition of new bad regulations to India's long list of bad regulations be it on healthcare or customs duties on basic consumer goods make things worse.

Thirdly, he won general election 2014 promising double digits growth and jobs for youths.. But it seems cultural transformation, renaming cities n towns etc. have slowly become more important for the Modi govt.

Fourthly, there's a strong perception and not without solid reasons that government is undermining major institutions such as CVC, CBI or RBI or free press…that's disliked by educated urban people in general.

Fifth, there's general perception that benefits of faster economic growth is being appropriated more by rich and powerful rather than poor…though this is nothing new.

Will do my best to mediate Kashmir situation: Trump

 

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has once again offered to mediate between Pakistan and India over the Kashmir issue.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said he would do his best "to mediate or do something" regarding the tensions between India and Pakistan over the disputed Himalayan region.

Trump had offered to mediate between Pakistan and India on Kashmir during Prime Minister Imran Khan's inaugural visit to the US, however, India had rejected the offer making it clear that there can't be any third-party intervention on the issue. However, Pakistan welcomed it.

“Well, they’ve been having this — these talks for hundreds of years, even under different names. But this is — but its Kashmir. And Kashmir is a very complicated place. You have the Hindus and you have the Muslims, and I wouldn’t say they get along so great. And that’s what you have right now,” Trump said when asked if the issue between the two nuclear-armed neighbours was solvable.

He added, “You have millions of people that want to be ruled by others and maybe on both sides. And you have two countries that haven’t gotten along well for a long time. And, frankly, it’s a very explosive situation.”

“I spoke to Prime Minister Imran Khan. I spoke with, yesterday, also, Prime Minister Modi. They are both friends of mine. They are great people. They are great people. And they love their countries. And they’re in a very tough situation,” Trump continued.

He noted that Kashmir was a very tough situation. “And, you know, we’re talking about — this has been going on for decades and decades. Shooting. I don’t mean shooting like shooting a rifle, I mean like major shooting of howitzers, of — you know, of heavy arms. And it’s been going on for a long period of time.”

Trump has ‘good conversations’ with Imran, Modi on reducing tensions in Kashmir

“But I get along really well with both of them. As you know, Prime Minister Khan was here just recently. And I was with — I’m going to be with Prime Minister Modi. I’ll be with him over the weekend in France,” he added.

He once again reiterated his help and said, “I think we’re helping the situation. But there are tremendous problems between those two countries, as you know. And I will do the best I can to meditate or do something. Great relationship with both of them, but they are not exactly friends at this moment. Complicated situation.”

Trump added he would speak to the Indian prime minister regarding the issue in occupied Kashmir over the weekend at the G7 summit in France. 

Pakistan within its right to take Kashmir issue to ICJ: US

Speaking to reporters, a senior US official on the condition of anonymity told an Indian publication, "We recognise that it’s an internal matter, but it obviously has implications outside of India's borders."

"We have long called for direct conversations between India and Pakistan to resolve what have been the decades of tensions generated by that issue," the official said. 

He further called on India to move quickly to release detainees to restore basic freedom and to return the valley to normalcy. "We continue to be very concerned by reports of detentions and the continued restrictions on the residents of the region. We urge respect for individual rights, compliance with legal procedures and inclusive dialogue with those affected,” the official said.

In response to a question on whether US president's phone conversations with the Pakistan and Indian prime ministers constituted mediation, the official said, “The president has offered to mediate if asked by both parties."

Speaking about Pakistan’s decision to take the Kashmir issue to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the official said it was Pakistan sovereign decision whether it wants to approach the ICJ.

"Our view is a resolution in Kashmir is not aided by multilateralising it, that the answer is direct conversation between India and Pakistan,” the official said."

چینی خاتون کا کیمرے کے سامنے زندہ آکٹوپس کھانا ایک عذاب بن گیا

 


ین: چین کی ایک مشہور ویڈیو بلاگر نے براہِ راست ایک لائیو ویڈیو میں زندہ آکٹوپس کھانے کا تجربہ کیا جس کے بعد انہیں لینے کے دینے پڑگئے۔
یہ خاتون چینی ویڈیو پلیٹ فارم کوائی شاؤ پر ’سی سائڈ گرل لِٹل سیون‘ کے نام سے مشہور ہیں اور انہوں لائیو شو میں آکٹوپس کھانا شروع کی لیکن اس کا اختتام ان خاتون کی تکلیف دہ چیخوں پر ہوا کیونکہ آکٹوپس ان کے چہرے سے چمٹ گئی تھی۔
پہلے خاتون نے اپنے مداحوں سے پرسکون انداز میں کہا کہ دیکھو کہ یہ کس طرح سے میرجلد سے چمٹی ہے۔ اس کے بعد آکٹوپس کو مزید جوش آجاتا ہے اور خاتون چیختی ہیں کہ یہ تکلیف دہ ہے اور میں اسے ’ہٹا نہیں پارہی‘ ۔

آخر کار خاتون آکٹوپس کو چہرے سے ہٹانے میں کامیاب ہوجاتی ہیں لیکن انہیں جلد یہ احساس ہوتا ہے کہ ان کے بائیں گال کے اوپری حصے سے جلد کا معمولی ٹکڑا الگ ہوگیا ہے۔ اس پر خاتون نےکہا کہ میرا چہرہ بگڑ گیا ہے اور چہرے پر خون کا دھبہ نمودار ہوتا ہے۔ اس کےبعد خاتون کہتی ہیں کہ میں اسے اگلی ویڈیو میں زندہ کھانے کا مظاہرہ کروں گی۔
چین اور مشرقی ایشیائی ممالک میں جانوروں اور بالخصوص سمندری مچھلیوں وغیرہ کو زندہ کھانے کا رحجان بھی ہے۔ لیکن ماہرین کا اصرار ہے کہ آکٹوپس کے بازوؤں تلے سینکڑوں چھوٹے چھوٹے ’سکر‘ ہوتے ہیں جو انہیں پتھروں سے چمٹائے رکھنے کا کام کرتے ہیں ۔ حملے کی صورت میں آکٹوپس اسی سے اپنا دفاع بھی کرتی ہیں۔
یہ ویڈیو چین میں مشہور ہورہی ہے اور لوگ اس پر اپنے ردِ عمل کا اظہار کررہے ہیں