‘Moderate your rhetoric’ on India, Trump advises Imran

New Delhi: In a stern message seen to be a snub, US President Donald Trump told Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in a phone conversation to “moderate” his rhetoric against India and “avoid escalation of the situation” in the wake of rising tensions between the two countries on the Kashmir issue. Interestingly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told President Trump in a phone call lasting half an hour on Monday evening that “extreme rhetoric and incitement to anti-India violence by certain leaders in the region was not conducive to peace”. This was an obvious reference to the Pakistan PM’s recent belligerent rhetoric against India. The US President also tweeted on Tuesday that he had spoken to his “two good friends” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan PM Imran Khan, asking them to  “work towards reducing tensions in Kashmir”. Admitting it was a “tough situation”, the US President sought to put up a brave face, saying he had “good conversations” with both Prime Ministers.

A rattled Pakistan launched a propaganda offensive against India ever since New Delhi bifurcated the state of J&K and revoked Article 370 earlier this month. It may be recalled that Pakistan PM Imran Khan has been engaging in a vitriolic offensive against India, including a bizarre diatribe on Sunday that compared India to Nazi Germany.

On the US President’s phone conversation with the Pakistan PM, the White House said: “President Donald J. Trump spoke by telephone with Prime Minister Imran Khan today to discuss the need to reduce tensions and moderate rhetoric with India over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The President reaffirmed the need to avoid escalation of the situation, and urged restraint on both sides.” The phone call to Mr Khan took place on Monday in the wake of a similar phone call last week when President Trump had spoken to Imran Khan and urged reduction of tensions through bilateral India-Pakistan talks.

In a tweet on Tuesday, the US President said: “Spoke to my two good friends, Prime Minister Modi of India and Prime Minister Khan of Pakistan, regarding trade, strategic partnerships and, most importantly, for India and Pakistan to work towards reducing tensions in Kashmir. A tough situation, but good conversations!”

On President Trump’s conversation with Mr Modi, the White House said: “Today, President Donald J. Trump spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to discuss regional developments and the United States-India strategic partnership. The President conveyed the importance of reducing tensions between India and Pakistan and maintaining peace in the region. The two leaders further discussed how they will continue to strengthen United States-India economic ties through increased trade, and they look forward to meeting again soon.”

The phone conversation between Mr Modi and Mr Trump follows an uproar last month when the US President had claimed that Mr Modi had asked for his mediation on the Kashmir issue with Pakistan. New Delhi swiftly denied the claim. But the US President did not seem to have taken the cue, declaring again just days later that he would “certainly intervene” between India and Pakistan on Kashmir if they wanted him to. India had subsequently rejected the US President’s repeated offers of mediation on the Kashmir issue, with New Delhi telling Washington “in clear terms that any discussion on Kashmir, if at all warranted, will only be with Pakistan and only bilaterally”.

As already reported, the PMO had in a statement from New Delhi late Monday evening, said “their (Modi-Trump) 30-minute conversation covered bilateral and regional matters and was marked by the warmth and cordiality which characterises the relations between the two leaders”. Mr Modi also remarked that “he appreciated remaining in regular touch with President Trump”, with sources saying that it was a “mutually-decided call”. But it is yet unclear whether Mr Modi and President Trump will have a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the forthcoming G-7 summit in Biarritz, France, on August 26.