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'Donald Trump unlikely to insert himself in Kashmir issue'

Lisa Curtis, a top American expert, has said that US President-elect Donald Trump is unlikely to "insert" himself in resolving the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan because he has already signalled his interest in deepening ties with India.

India TV News Desk India TV News Desk New Delhi Published on: December 02, 2016 15:25 IST
Donald Trump
Image Source : PTI 'Donald Trump unlikely to insert himself in Kashmir issue'

Lisa Curtis, a top American expert, has said that US President-elect Donald Trump is unlikely to "insert" himself in resolving the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan because he has already signalled his interest in deepening ties with India.

In an op-ed in The Daily Signal, Lisa Curtis who is also associated with The Heritage Foundation, said, "It is highly doubtful that Trump administration will consider inserting itself into the volatile Indo-Pakistani dispute, especially when Trump has signalled his interest in prioritising deepening ties with India.”

"Indeed, if there is any useful role the US can play in tamping down tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals, it is to press Pakistan to crackdown on anti-India militants that operate freely in Pakistani territory," Curtis said.

In her op-ed, Curtis said concerns are being raised about the US President-elect Donald Trump’s phone conversation with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and what it might mean for his policies toward the subcontinent.

Pakistan in a statement said that Trump during a telephonic conversation with Prime Minsiter Nawaz Sharif offered to play "any role" in helping Pakistan address its outstanding issues, which it claimed was a reference to Kashmir issue.

"These comments, however, should merely be seen as friendly banter that could have been made to almost any foreign leader," Curtis said.

"It is not surprising that Pakistani leaders would take advantage of a polite and warm exchange to push their agenda of bringing international attention to the Indo-Pak conflict in Kashmir," Curtis wrote.

Observing that the US handling of India-Pakistan relations is a delicate matter, she said it is important for US officials to avoid the mediation trap and "any illusion that the US itself can resolve this nearly 70-year-old dispute."

Referring to the series of attacks against Indian Army bases, Curtis said the Uri attack demonstrates Pakistan’s willingness to up the ante in order to draw international attention to Kashmir at a time when civil protests had been wracking the region.

"The US must demonstrate that such Pakistani behaviour is unacceptable and will have consequences," Curtis said.

(With PTI inputs)

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