india

Updated: Jul 29, 2019 01:39 IST

United States (US) President Donald Trump’s offer of mediation on Kashmir during Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s first visit to Washington was “more than Pakistan’s expectations”, its foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has said.

Talking to a private news channel, Qureshi also said that Prime Minister Khan “made the US realise that Kashmir is a flashpoint”, which requires an early resolution, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

Trump last week offered to be the “mediator” between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue during his first meeting with Prime Minister Khan at the White House.

India had firmly rejected Trump’s offer, saying that New Delhi’s consistent position has been that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally.

The Ministry of Home Affairs was quick to refute Trump’s claims, with spokesperson Ravish Kumar clarifying that “no such request was made by PM Modi”. “Any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross border terrorism. The Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India and Pakistan bilaterally” the MEA spokesperson had said.

However, Qureshi said the offer of mediation by President Trump during Prime Minister Khan’s visit to Washington was “more than Pakistan’s expectations,” Qureshi said. He said that India’s “adamant attitude on Kashmir issue can cost it heavy” and claimed that the situation in the Valley is “deteriorating”.