India maintain its stand on J&K, says 'wait for Modi-Trump meeting'

New Delhi: After US President Donald Trump’s third offer to mediate on Kashmir issue, with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan by his side on Monday, India still stand on its position that there can be no third party mediation.

The Foreign Ministry urged the media to “wait”, when President Trump and PM Modi would meet for talks.

Addressing a joint briefing before his talks with Imran Khan, President Trump said if India and Pakistan wanted him to mediate on Kashmir, he was "ready, willing and able".

Read | I trust Pakistan: Trump meets Imran Khan, offers to mediate on Kashmir again

Despite India rebuffing the offer twice, Trump said: “If I can help, I will certainly help... If both (India and Pakistan) want, I am ready to do it... I have very good relationship with Prime Minister Modi. I have very good relationship with Prime Minister Khan... I would be an extremely good arbitrator. I have never failed as an arbitrator.”

The latest offer to mediate came a day after Trump shared a stage with PM Modi at "Howdy, Modi!" event in Houston.

On Monday, during a press conference, the Foreign Ministry was asked to respond to the fact that "Trump keeps raising the question of mediation again and again.”

A Gitesh Sharma, Secretary (West), said: "There is a meeting tomorrow, let us wait for the meeting."

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: "You are aware of our position. We have mentioned about this in the past. But my request is, just hold on. Hold on for the meeting tomorrow. It's not very far."

In July, President Trump's first offer also came when he was addressing the media along with Imran Khan. He had then claimed that PM Modi had asked him whether he would like to mediate on Kashmir. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, however, denied that the Prime Minister had ever made such a request.

In August, PM Modi himself made India's stand clear, with President Trump right next to him. On the sidelines of G-7 summit, Modi said: "There are many bilateral issues between India and Pakistan, and we don't want to trouble any third country. We can discuss and resolve these issues bilaterally.”

PM Modi in Houston attacked Pakistan and said they have "made hatred towards India the centre of their agenda. They support terror, they harbour terrorists. Whether it is 9/11 in America or 26/11 in Mumbai, where are its conspirators found? Not just you, the whole world knows who these people are."