The United States of America (USA) is eagerly pursuing the defusing of tensions between Pakistan and India over Kashmir. President Donald Trump has indicated meeting prime ministers of Pakistan and India once again to discuss the Kashmir issue. The statement comes after India has relentlessly curbed the rights of the people of Kashmir by revoking Article 370 of their constitution. There has been a complete communication blackout in the region, making it difficult to report the humanitarian crisis. President Trump, however, hinted that there has been progress in the case, which is not evident in the recent developments, but this could also hint towards USA’s own inclination to mediate the matter before it gets out of hands.
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly meeting next week in New York is a great opportunity for Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to meet President Trump and reiterate how important it is to defuse tensions as soon as possible. The people of Kashmir have been struggling for a very long time and if the USA wants peace in the region of South Asia, it is important to curtail plans of India and call them out for the violence and violations of human rights in the valley of Kashmir.
However, it is also to be noted that despite President Trump’s last meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the situation in Kashmir has been on a standstill for over a month, with no reporting on the actual atrocities being committed. There certainly are reports of innocent people losing lives and the government tightening control but there has been no improvement in the situation whatsoever. If the current mediation is not fruitful, Pakistan will have to urge the General Assembly (UNGA) and the Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to take effective measures to curb Indian plans to forcefully manoeuvre the demographics of Kashmir.