President Donald Trump has termed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement against Pakistan at the Houston rally as “very aggressive” and expressed surprise that such a statement was made at Sunday’s event.
In remarks at a meeting with Prime Minister Imarn Khan in New York Monday, Trump who had appeared jointly with Modi at the RNG stadium in Houston a day earlier, said he was not expecting Modi’s statement.
Addressing a large gathering at the event, the Indian nationalist leader – who has been lambasted by human rights organizations for his denial of rights to the people of Kashmir living like prisoners since August 5 lockdown of the region – blamed Pakistan (without naming its South Asian neighbor) for inciting terrorism.
While alluding to Pakistan as the epicenter of terror, Modi Sunday linked it to 9/11 and 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Trump had praised Modi at Houston rally and expressed understanding of New Delhi have security at its borders, without mentioning the Kashmir region.
On Monday, Trump was asked by journalists about his stance on Modi’s allegations as well as the dire human rights situation in the Kashmir region, which has been under an unprecedented clampdown since New Delhi deprived the disputed territory of its autonomous status.
Trump, who also renewed his offer to mediate on the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India, acknowledged Pakistan’s counterterrorism progress and said Imran “wants to make great progress because there is no solution the other way.”
The U.S. president not only declined to endorse Modi’s statement against Pakistan but also called for humane treatment of people, when in response to a question on human rights situation in Indian-administered Kashmir, he responded:
“Sure. I’d like to see everything work out. I want it to be humane. I want everybody to be treated well. You have two big countries, and they’re warring countries and they’ve been fighting.”
“And — I mean, I heard a very aggressive statement yesterday. I don’t have to say that. I was there. I didn’t know I was going to hear that statement, I had said. But I was sitting there and I heard a very aggressive statement yesterday from India, from the Prime Minister, and I will say it was very well received within the rule — you know, within in the room. The statement itself. That was a big room; there were 59,000 people.
“But it was a very aggressive statement, and I hope that they’re going to be able to come together — India and Pakistan — and do something that’s really smart and good for both. And I’m sure there could be — there’s always a solution. And I really believe there’s a solution for that.”
Trump acknowledged an important Pakistani role toward bringing peace to Afghanistan, although he did not commit to resuming the peace talks for an agreement with the warring Taliban. He said the U.S. will hit the Taliban harder.
Speaking on top of the meeting, Imran Khan drew Trump’s attention to the important role that the United States – as the most powerful country – could play toward addressing the Kashmir crisis, and warned that it could spiral into a much bigger thing.
“You know, Mr. President, I was going to raise it in private, but it needs to be said that, for 50 days, 8 million people are under siege by 900,000 troops. And it’s a humanitarian issue. And so I was going to say that — were you supposed to meet Narendra Modi now, I would’ve asked you to at least lift the siege. I mean, it’s a huge humanitarian crisis taking place.”
Regarding his expectations from the U.S. president, Khan said:
“My expectations: President Trump heads the most powerful country in the world, and the most powerful country in the world has a responsibility. And, you know, you very kindly want to mediate this and you also said that to do both, first India and Pakistan has to agree to mediation.
“But, unfortunately, India is refusing to talk to us. So, in this situation, I feel that this is the beginning of a crisis. I honestly feel that this crisis is going to get much bigger — what is happening in Kashmir. So we would like to talk about that later.
“But just the fact that the position of the United States — it’s the most powerful country. It can affect the United Nations Security Council. It has a voice. So we look to the U.S. to put out flames in the world.”
Both Modi and Khan will address the UN General Assembly later this week.
