Brought CAA to correct historical injustice, fulfill promises: PM Modi

He said the present government has been trying to solve decades-old problems plaguing the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the government has brought the Citizenship Amendment Act to correct "historical injustice" and to fulfil the BJP's "old promise" to religious minorities living in neighbouring countries.

Speaking at the Annual Prime Minister's National Cadet Corps (NCC) Rally 2020, Modi said the problem in Jammu and Kashmir persisted since Independence and some families and political parties kept issues in the region "alive", as a result of which terrorism thrived there.

He said the present government has been trying to solve decades old problems plaguing the country.

Slamming Pakistan, the prime minister said the neighbouring country has lost three wars, but continues to wage proxy wars against India.

Previous governments, he said, treated the problem as a law and order issue.

"But even when out armies would ask for action, they would not go ahead," he said, slamming the "inaction" of previous governments at the Centre.

He also said that currently, not only J-K, but other parts of the country are also peaceful and the government has managed to address the aspirations of the northeast region which were neglected for decades.

Listing out the achievements of the government, the PM referred to the Bodo agreement, Triple Talaq, abrogation of Section 370 in Jammu and Kashmir among them.

Business Standard

Why are Kashmiris disappearing from WhatsApp amid internet shutdown?

The locals who disappeared from the platform have long been active participants in Whatsapp groups sharing news and updates. No one was quite sure of what was happening.

It's been exactly four months since internet services were snapped in Kashmir. Even as Kashmiris continue to endure the shutdown, on Wednesday, they began vanishing in large numbers from the social media platform WhatsApp, Buzzfeed reported.

The locals who disappeared from the platform have long been active participants in Whatsapp groups sharing news and updates. No one was quite sure of what was happening.

“I thought that internet services had been restored in Kashmir and maybe these people were just removing themselves from WhatsApp groups on their own,” Mudasir Firdosi, a London-based Kashmiri doctor who is in half a dozen WhatsApp groups told Buzzfeed.

A Facebook spokesperson told Buzzfeed that the disappearances were the result of WhatsApp's policy on inactive accounts. "To maintain security and limit data retention, WhatsApp accounts generally expire after 120 days of inactivity," he said. "When that happens, those accounts automatically exit their WhatsApp groups. People will need to be re-added to groups upon regaining access to the Internet and joining WhatsApp again."

Suhail Lyser, a Kashmiri student from Dehradun, told BuzzFeed News that he saw more than 150 Kashmiris in a WhatsApp group suddenly disappear from the group. But according to another Kashmiri doctor who lives in New Delhi, people using WhatsApp due to their travels outside the state found their accounts intact.

Facebook has so far been silent on the number of Kashmiris affected. People whose accounts became extinct will have to register afresh with WhatsApp and recreate their profiles.

On August 5, India revoked the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union territories, following which all communication lines were blocked. India is the largest market for WhatsApp with some 400 million active users.

Business Standard

Rising power: Why India has faced muted criticism over its Kashmir policy

India's economic heft and its standing as a potential counter to China may be behind the absence of strong reactions.

If Prime Minister Narendra Modi was worried about a frosty reception in the U.S. after his crackdown on India’s Muslim-majority region of Kashmir, President Donald Trump was quick to put those fears to rest.

“Border security is vital to India,” Trump said alongside Modi, as the two spoke at a huge gathering of around 50,000 Indian-Americans on Sunday. “We understand that.”

The high-level acknowledgment from the world’s most powerful political leader comes as Modi -- who will address the United Nations General Assembly on Friday -- continues an unprecedented security crackdown in the tense Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir. On August 5, he abolished 70 years of regional autonomy and placed its citizens under widespread restrictions including an extended communications blackout. It also follows India’s push to strip millions of people -- mostly Muslims -- of their citizenship in the country’s northeastern state of Assam, near Bangladesh.

Trump’s comments, although not explicit approval, are symbolic of the quiet acceptance of India’s policies which have attracted little international criticism. India’s actions have been compared to what China is doing in its own restive mostly-Muslim border region of Xinjiang. But few countries other than Pakistan and China, which both have territorial claims in disputed Kashmir, have criticized New Delhi -- a stark contrast to the 22 states that signed a letter criticizing China’s crackdown against Muslim minority Uighurs, which has seen as many as 1 million citizens placed in “re-education camps.”

Nations want to keep Modi onside as they recognize India’s rising strategic importance in Asia as a counterweight to Beijing. There’s also the size of its market, including billions in arms purchases, and the fact that criticizing New Delhi risks aligning with Pakistan, which is widely accused of sponsoring terrorist groups in the region.

“There is little diplomatic upside to directly challenging India,” said Paul Staniland, an associate professor at the University of Chicago. “India is an important economic and strategic partner, or potential partner, for countries ranging from France to the U.S. to the Gulf states. It’s also clear that the government of India won’t be rolling back its policy anytime soon, and many countries are leery of seeming to back the Pakistani line.”

Business Standard

Restrictions in parts of Kashmir to prevent Muharram processions, violence

The officials did not cite any reasons for reimposing restrictions but it is believed that the step was taken to prevent Muharram processions in the city and elsewhere in the Valley.

Business Standard : Curfew-like restrictions were reimposed on Tuesday in several parts of Kashmir, including the city, to foil any plans on taking out Muharram processions in the Valley as authorities apprehended that large congregations might lead to violence.

Commercial hub of Lal Chowk and adjoining areas were completely sealed off by placing concertina wires at all entry points where large number of security force personnel were deployed, officials said.

Restrictions have been in several parts of Kashmir as a precautionary measure for maintaining law and order in the Valley, they said.

ALSO READ: UN human rights chief urges India to ease lockdown, curfew in Kashmir

The officials did not cite any reasons for reimposing restrictions but it is believed that the step was taken to prevent Muharram processions in the city and elsewhere in the Valley. The processions stand banned in Kashmir since 1990 when armed insurgency began.

Muharram is considered as one of the sacred months of the Islamic lunar calendar. The battle of Karbala, in which Hazrat Imam Hussain - the grandson of the Prophet - had attained martyrdom - is said to have been taken place in the 7th century.

Restrictions were first imposed across Kashmir on August 5 when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 and bifurcate the state into union territories. The restrictions were lifted in phases from many parts of the Valley as the situation improved with passage of time.

The authorities have been imposing restrictions in vulnerable areas of the Valley every Friday, apprehending that vested interests might exploit the large gatherings at big mosques and shrines to fuel protests.

Meanwhile, normal life remained severely affected in Kashmir due to shutdown in the Valley which entered 37th day on Tuesday.

Markets and other business establishments remained closed while public transport was off the roads across the Valley, the officials said.

Kashmir: A month later, shopkeepers refuse to open, even as curbs are eased

Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked special rights for Jammu and Kashmir on Aug 5, striking down the long-standing constitutional provisions for the Himalayan region.

A month after the government withdrew Article 370 and locked Kashmir down with thousands of additional troops and made mass arrests, residents are resisting attempts by authorities to show some signs of normalcy returning in the valley.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked special rights for Jammu and Kashmir on Aug 5, striking down the long-standing constitutional provisions for the Himalayan region.

To dampen the possibility of widespread protests, India flooded the state — already one of the world’s most militarised zones — with troops, imposed severe restrictions on movements, and cut all telephone, mobile phone and internet connections. Thousands of people were arrested.

The Centre has since eased some of the curbs, although no prominent detainees have been freed and mobile and internet connections remain suspended.

Officials in Srinagar say that 90 per cent of the Kashmir valley is free of restrictions on daytime movement, some landline phone connections have been restored and thousands of schools have re-opened. However, checkpoints remain in place and communication restrictions make reporting from the region difficult.

Despite the partial relaxation, many students are boycotting classes, shopkeepers are not opening up and public and private sector employees are not turning up for work, in informal action aimed at protesting against the government, according to interviews with seven government officials and dozens of residents of the valley.

“For us, our identity at stake and its safeguarding is our priority,” said Shabir Ahmad, a shopkeeper from the old quarter of Srinagar.

“Let them restore it and we will re-start our businesses.”

Business Standard

Modi, Abe have task cut out in Russia: Prying Putin away from China

Apart from better bilateral ties at the expense of China, Modi will probably seek from Putin support for his new Kashmir policy.

Business Standard : Alarmed by Russia’s growing partnership with China, Beijing’s Asian neighbors are increasingly looking for ways to court Moscow away.

That is exactly what Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe aim to do at the annual Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok this week. Chinese leader Xi Jinping will be notably absent from the event, Russian President Vladimir Putin ’s showcase for investment opportunities in his country’s Far East.

“Both of them are interested in seeing how they can come between Putin and Xi,” said Alexander Gabuev, senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center think tank. “They each have their own agenda, but both share an interest in prying Moscow away from Beijing.”

Russia and China have touted their strengthening relationship; trade has increased and the two plan to sign a new military agreement. But the depth of the relationship is untested, and China’s investments in Russia have fallen far short of the expectations built up when Moscow announced its pivot to the East in 2014, as relations with the West worsened. 

That has left other regional powers wondering how to exploit potential weaknesses in their relationship.

This year’s forum is the fifth. As Russia has failed to attract big business investments to its generally underdeveloped Far East, the event has become a forum for Russia’s political elite, showcasing top-down government development plans.

Apart from better bilateral ties at the expense of China, Modi will probably seek from Putin support for his new Kashmir policy, which seeks to incorporate the region—also claimed by Pakistan—into India’s federal territory. China has spoken out against Modi’s move, while Moscow has withheld any criticism.

But the prime minister is likely just as interested in new nuclear projects and continuing arms deals—as well as opportunities in Russia’s Far East. In the run-up to the forum, officials and investors from five Indian states have been led around the Far East to look at possibilities, including in diamond mining to feed India’s huge market.

India’s ties to Russia—and before that the Soviet Union—have diminished as New Delhi’s relationship with the US has improved over the past decade. But Modi strengthened them earlier this year with a $5.4 billion deal to buy Russia’s S-400 air-defense system.

Russia has said it is ready to make all necessary efforts to get the deal done by 2023 as scheduled despite severe objections from Washington.

SC refers all petitions on Article 370 to 5-judge Constitution Bench

SC also issued notice to the Centre on plea by Kashmir Times Executive Editor seeking a direction for relaxing restrictions on internet, landline, and other communication channels.

Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday referred all petitions challenging the scrapping of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, to a five-judge Constitution Bench.

The Supreme Court issued a notice to the Centre and others and said that the five-judge Constitution Bench would hear all the petitions related to abrogation of Article 370 in the first week of October.

The apex court also issued a notice to the Centre on the plea by Kashmir Times Executive Editor, Anuradha Bhasin, seeking a direction for relaxing restrictions on internet, landline, and other communication channels. The SC sought a detailed response from the Centre within 7 days.

Further, the Supreme Court refused a request from the Centre to appoint an interlocutor for Jammu & Kashmir.

In another development, the Supreme Court also allowed CPM leader Sitaram Yechury to visit J&K and meet his party leader and former MLA, Yousuf Tarigami.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi said, "We will permit you to go, you are the general secretary of a party. Don't go for anything else."

The apex court also said that Yechury's visit should only be to meet Tarigami as a friend, and not for any political purpose.

Business Standard

Removing Article 370 correct; economy needs correction: Subramanian Swamy

The Rajya Sabha MP said that the 'wrong policies' adopted during former finance minister Arun Jaitley's tenure were responsible for the economy slowing down.

BJP lawmaker Subramanian Swamy has said the withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir's special status was correct but the state of economy "needs to be corrected" as this issue is also important for national security and nation-building.

The Rajya Sabha MP told reporters Sunday the "wrong policies" adopted during former finance minister Arun Jaitley's tenure were responsible for the economy slowing down. He also criticised ex-Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan for raising interest rates.

ALSO READ: Govt speaking to banks about stimulus package for economy: SBI chairman

"I think the wrong policies adopted during the tenure of Arun Jaitley, which are still in force, such as levying high taxes are some of the reasons for the slowdown... Increase in interest rates by former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan was one of the reasons (for the slowdown)," said Swamy.

He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Pune.

Replying to a question on the Centre's move to scrap the provisions of Article 370, which gave special powers to Jammu and Kashmir, and the economy, Swamy said, "The economy needs to be corrected. My advice was not sought on the economic front. My advice was sought on Article 370, and it was done correctly."

"Yes, the economy should be given priority. In fact, both things are important for nation-building and national security," he added.

Jaitley served as finance minister during the first term of the Narendra Modi government. Jaitley, 66, is on life support at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi.

Business Standard

Would be unwise to alienate India, turn to Pakistan as partner: US expert

'The US would be unwise to turn to Pakistan as a strategic partner,' Richard N Hass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in an op-ed last week.

Amid an increased India-Pak tension on Kashmir and an ongoing Afghan peace talks, a top American foreign policy expert has cautioned the Trump Administration against any strategic tilt towards Pakistan and moving away from India.

"The US would be unwise to turn to Pakistan as a strategic partner," Richard N Hass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in an op-ed last week.

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Pakistan sees a friendly government in Kabul as vital to its security and competition with arch-rival India, he wrote in his op-ed that was first published by Project Syndicate and thereafter, on the CFR website.

"There is little reason to believe that the military and intelligence services, which continue to run Pakistan, will rein in the Taliban or rule out terrorism," Hass said.

"Equally, the US would be unwise to alienate India. Yes, India has a tradition of protectionist trade policies and often frustrates US policymakers with its reluctance to cooperate fully on strategic issues," he wrote.

But democratic India, which will soon surpass China as the world's most populous country and will boast the world's fifth-largest economy, is a good long-term bet, he added.

"It is a natural partner to help balance China. India has rejected participation in China's Belt and Road Initiative, whereas Pakistan, struggling economically, has embraced it," Hass said.

According to the top American scholar, the US would also be unwise to race for the exits from Afghanistan.

Peace talks with the Taliban mostly look like a means to extract US forces from the country, he claimed, adding that the process is reminiscent of Vietnam, where a 1973 agreement between the US and North Vietnam provided a pretext for American withdrawal from the South but not a basis for peace.

The notion of a coalition government, with power shared by the current government and the Taliban, is optimistic at best, fanciful at worst, Hass observed.

"Instead of embracing fantasy, the US should continue to keep a modest number of troops in Afghanistan to ensure the government survives and the country does not again become a terrorist haven.

Kashmir stays shut for 12th day, restrictions on people's movement relaxed

Officials say the situation in the Valley is being monitored on a real-time basis and the decision to remove the forces will depend on the ground situation.

Kashmir remained shut for the 12th consecutive day on Friday, even as the authorities relaxed restrictions on the movement of people in Srinagar.

"Restrictions on the movement of people have been eased in most parts of the Valley. The situation so far has remained peaceful," a senior official of the state administration said here.

He said while the deployment of security forces on the ground remains as earlier, people were allowed to move around the city and other towns.

ALSO READ: China seeks 'closed consultations' in UNSC on India's Kashmir move: Report

Kashmir was placed under a total clampdown on August 5, hours before Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced in the Rajya Sabha that the special status for the state had been revoked.

The state administration has directed government employees to report at work from Friday through a radio announcement.

However, the communication clampdown continues as all telephone and Internet services remained suspended.

While schools are closed for the past two weeks, shops and other business establishments too remained shut since August 5.

The official said the situation in the Valley was being monitored on a real-time basis and the decision to remove the forces would depend on the ground situation.

Business Standard

Pak rushes Qureshi to seek 'all-weather' friend China's help on Kashmir

Pakistan and China are strategic partners and closely cooperate on different issues.

Business Standard : Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday dashed to China to discuss with the Chinese leadership Indo-Pak tensions after India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier this week, India revoked Article 370 to withdraw the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two Union Territories --Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh.

Pakistan termed the Indian action as "unilateral and illegal", and said it will take the matter to the UN Security Council.

ALSO READ: No change in our policy on Kashmir, India and Pakistan should talk: US

Pakistan expelled the Indian High Commissioner as part of its decision to downgrade the diplomatic ties with India and announced that it will review all "bilateral arrangements" with India.

Qureshi told the media before embarking on the visit to China that India was trying to destroy the regional peace with its unconstitutional measures and Pakistan will take Chinese leadership into confidence, Goe News reported.

China considers Pakistan an all-weather ally.

"China is not only a friend to Pakistan but also an important country of the region...I will apprise the Chinese leaders of the unconstitutional measures taken up by the Indian government in Kashmir. I will also brief them of the gross human rights violations...," he said.

The China trip is part of efforts by Pakistan to take the international community on board after India's decision over Kashmir.

China has also opposed the changes affecting Ladakh.

Pakistan and China are strategic partners and closely cooperate on different issues.

BJP stalwart Sushma Swaraj: A powerful orator and people's minister

She started her political life with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the RSS' student wing, and later joined the BJP.

Business Standard : A powerful orator, an easily-accessible external affairs minister and a politician of many firsts, Sushma Swaraj was a loyal BJP soldier who was always ready to face a challenge.

Swaraj's attachment with the party ideology and principles was apparent even hours before she passed away as she tweeted to congratulate Prime Narendra Modi after the Centre's move to revoke the special status for Jammu and Kashmir.

"I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime," she said.

She passed away at AIIMS on Tuesday night after suffering a cardiac arrest. She was 67.

Swaraj, who had a kidney transplant in 2016, had opted out of fighting the Lok Sabha elections this year due to health reasons.

She was not part of the Modi government this time and S Jaishankar replaced her as the External Affairs Minister. She left behind a legacy of an easily-accessible minister who helped the diaspora in distress with her revolutionary social media outreach.

Several path-breaking measures such as the passport infrastructure expansion and enhanced engagement with the East were the highlights of her tenure as the external affairs minister.

She was only the second woman to hold the portfolio after Indira Gandhi, who briefly kept the external affairs ministry under her while being the prime minister.

Swaraj had many firsts to her credit such as being the youngest cabinet minister in the Haryana government, first woman chief minister of Delhi and the first woman spokesperson for a national political party in the country.

She started her political life with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the RSS' student wing, and later joined the BJP.

She was the Information and Broadcasting Minister in the 13-day Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1996 and got the Cabinet portfolio again after he led the BJP to power in 1998.

Govt moves resolution abrogating Article 370 from J&K in Rajya Sabha

Earlier, the Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had an hour-long meeting, where the top leadership is believed to have discussed issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday moved a resolution revoking Article 370 that grants special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir in the Rajya Sabha, amid a din as Opposition members protested the move.

The government on Monday also moved a Bill proposing the bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories -- the Jammu and Kashmir division and Ladakh.

Home Minister Shah introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill.

Making the announcement in the Rajya Sabha, Shah said that the UT in Ladakh would have no legislature, like Chandigarh, while the other UT of Jammu and Kashmir would have a legislature, like Delhi and Puducherry.

There was an uproar in the Rajya Sabha after the resolution was moved by the Home Minister.

Reactions poured in immediately, with former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti calling it "the darkest day in Indian democracy".

Mufti tweeted that the "unilateral decision" of the Government of India to scrap Article 370 was "illegal and unconstitutional", which would "make India an occupational force in J&K".

Earlier, the Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had an hour-long meeting, where the top leadership is believed to have discussed issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir.

Business Standard

Kashmir on edge: Security beefed up, many leaders 'detained or arrested'

The officials said former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti would not be allowed to move out of their respective house in view of the restrictions.

Business Standard : Kashmir remained on edge as the authorities stepped up security at vital installations and in sensitive areas, suspended mobile internet services and either "arrested" or "detained" several leaders in fast-paced developments on Sunday night.

Officials said restrictions on movement of people would come into force in Kashmir Valley at the crack of dawn.'

The officials said former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti would not be allowed to move out of their respective house in view of the restrictions, while Congress leader Usman Majid and CPI(M) MLA M Y Tarigami claimed to have been arrested around midnight.

However, no official confirmation of the arrests was immediately available.

"I believe I'm being placed under house arrest from midnight tonight & the process has already started for other mainstream leaders. No way of knowing if this is true but if it is then I'll see all of you on the other side of whatever is in store," National Conference leader Abdullah tweeted.

"To the people of Kashmir, we don't know what is in store for us but I am a firm believer that what ever Almighty Allah has planned it is always for the better, we may not see it now but we must never doubt his ways. Good luck to everyone, stay safe & above all PLEASE STAY CALM," he said in another tweet.

Reacting to the development, Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba said, "How ironic that elected representatives like us who fought for peace are under house arrest. The world watches as people & their voices are being muzzled in J&K. The same Kashmir that chose a secular democratic India is facing oppression of unimaginable magnitude. Wake up India."

Responding to Abdullah's tweet, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, "You are not alone @OmarAbdullah. Every Indian democrat will stand with the decent mainstream leaders in Kashmir as you face up to whatever the government has in store for our country. Parliament is still in session & our voices will not be stilled."

"What is going on in J&K? Why would leaders be arrested overnight while having done no wrong? If Kashmiris are our citizens &their leaders our partners, surely the mainstream ones must be kept on board while we act against terrorists & separatists? If we alienate them, who's left?" he said in another tweet.

Jammu & Kashmir special status: Decoding Article 35A and Article 370

While popular notion is that Article 35A and Article 370 give J&K a special state status, the Centre has similar arrangements with several others. We explain the two statutes to demystify the issue.

With speculation rife that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -led central government could abolish or try to amend Article 35A and article 370, which give a special status to Jammu & Kashmir, there is a lot of confusion as to what these two statutes entail. Political parties on either side of the debate have voiced their opinion, with some calling tinkering with Article 35A “like setting powder keg on fire”, while others have supported the idea calling it a move to unify of the country.

What is Article 35A?

This provision of the Constitution allows the Jammu & Kashmir state Assembly to define who is and is not a “permanent resident” of the state. To further break it down, this provision of the Constitution gives the legislators from Jammu & Kashmir the exclusive power to determine as to which people in or outside the state will have special rights and privileges granted by the state.

The provision, inserted through a special Presidential order in 1954, also gives the state Assembly powers to determine the recipients of state grants, the right to purchase land and property in the state, as well as settling permanently in the region. Other than this, the legislative Assembly of Jammu & Kashmir can use the provision to restrict rights of any person not classified under “permanent resident” of the state.

Can Article 35A be amended or repealed?

The repealing of Article 35A could be a legal uphill task for the central government, experts said. For any changes to be made to the provision, the constituent Assembly of the state has to consent to it. The constituent Assembly of the state, however, ceased to exist in 1957. This, constitutional expert Shubhankar Dam said, made seeking nod from the Assembly impossible.

“One has to understand where this provision derives its powers from. When it was introduced in 1957, the state constituent Assembly raised the demand, which was then inserted on the recommendation of the President.

The clause was introduced due to compromises which the Union had to make at that time. The time and context have to be understood,” said Dam.

Other experts, however, disagree and say that since there is a valid state legislative Assembly in the state, which also has constituent powers, any changes to Article 35A can be done by it.

Business Standard

Kashmir is issue between India-Pak; US ready to assist talks: State Dept

It also said Pakistan taking "sustained and irreversible" steps against terrorism is key to a successful dialogue with India.

Business Standard : The Trump administration has launched a damage control exercise after the President's remarks about mediation on Kashmir, with the State Department on Tuesday saying it was a "bilateral" issue between India and Pakistan, and the US "welcomes" the two countries "sitting down" for talks.

It also said Pakistan taking "sustained and irreversible" steps against terrorism is key to a successful dialogue with India.

"While Kashmir is a bilateral issue for both parties to discuss, the Trump administration welcomes Pakistan and India sitting down and the United States stands ready to assist," a State Department spokesperson told PTI in response to a question if Trump's remarks reflect a change in the country's policy on Kashmir.

India has already rejected Trump's claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought his mediation on the Kashmir issue.

For more than a decade, the US has consistently insisted that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and it is for the two countries to decide on the nature and scope of the dialogue.

"We believe the foundation for any successful dialogue between India and Pakistan is based on Pakistan taking sustained and irreversible steps against militants and terrorists on its territory. These actions are in line with Prime Minister (Imran) Khan's stated commitments, and Pakistan's international obligations," the State Department spokesperson said.

"We will continue to support efforts that reduce tensions and create an environment conducive for dialogue. This first and foremost means tackling the menace of terrorism. As the President indicated, we stand ready to assist," the spokesperson said in response to a question.

On Monday, Trump stunned India by saying that Prime Minister Modi, during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, sought his help in resolving the Kashmir issue.

"I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago and we talked about this subject (Kashmir). And he actually said, 'would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator?' I said, 'where?' (Modi said) 'Kashmir'," Trump said during his talks with Khan, their first since the latter came to power in August, 2018.

"Because this has been going on for many, many years. I am surprised that how long. It has been going on (for long)," he said, with Khan responding 70 years.