Have attractive news: Trump hopes Indo-Pak tensions will end soon
About the escalating India-Pakistan tensions, United States President Donald Trump on Thursday said he has received some "reasonably attractive news" and the hostilities may end soon. Trump made these remarks at a press conference in Hanoi on sidelines of his meeting with North Korea leader Kim Jong-un. Bitterness between two nuclear neighbors peaked on Wednesday after forces of both were locked in air combat.
Looking at what Trump said
"I think reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India, they have been going at it and we have been involved and have them stop. Hopefully, it's going to be coming to an end, this has been going on for a long time, decades and decades," said Trump.
This is what Trump said
Backstory: After Pulwama, the ties only got worse
New Delhi and Islamabad have been staring at war since February 14 attack on CRPF convoy in Pulwama. Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the dastardly attack in which 40 soldiers were martyred. India asked Pakistan to act against homegrown terrorism but the latter claimed it wasn't involved in any way. Subsequently, IAF launched a cross-border attack which ended in the destruction of Jaish's biggest camp.
Earlier, US asked India and Pakistan to "practise restraint"
While border tension reached new heights after Pakistan attacked military installments in India, the US called for restraint. The US asked both countries to cease all "cross-border military activity" and "take immediate steps to deescalate the situation, including through direct communication". It also asked Pakistan to uphold its UN commitments and stop providing safe haven to various terrorist outfits.
US didn't "condemn" airstrikes making Pakistan unhappy
Meanwhile, Pakistan's ambassador to the US expressed concern over the latter's stand on Indian airstrikes. Asad Majeed Khan said the US didn't condemn India's "act of aggression". "It is construed and understood as an endorsement of the Indian position and that is what emboldened them even more," Khan said. To recall, the US had issued a strong statement against Pakistan after the Pulwama attack.
Meanwhile, US also wants to blacklist Masood Azhar
It is important to note the US shares India's thoughts on Masood Azhar, the chief of JeM. On Wednesday, the US, the UK, and France moved a fresh plea in the United Nations Security Council demanding the blacklisting of Masood. In the last ten years, an attempt to declare him a UN-designated terrorist has been made four times but China foiled the plans.
