US President Donald Trump has made it clear that his offerof mediation on Kashmir is not on the table anymore, the Indian ambassador hassaid. Ambassador Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Monday that America’sdecades-old policy on Kashmir has been no mediation but to encourage India andPakistan to resolve their differences bilaterally.“President Trump has made itvery clear that his offer to mediate on Jammu and Kashmir is dependent on bothIndia and Pakistan accepting it. Since India has not accepted the offer ofmediation, he has made it clear that this is not on the table anymore,”Shringla told Fox News, the favourite news channel of the US president.On July22, during his joint media appearance with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khanat the White House, President Trump stunned India by saying that Prime MinisterNarendra Modi sought his mediation/arbitration on the Kashmir issue, a claimthat was seen by many as outlandish and carrying little credibility.

India asserted that no such request was made by PrimeMinister Modi to the US president and all issues will have to be resolved withIslamabad bilaterally.

A week later, Trump climbed down from his previousstatement, saying it was up to India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issuebut he was ready to assist if the two South Asian neighbours wanted him to helpin resolving the issue.

He said India made it clear to America that any discussionon the issue, if at all warranted, will only be with Pakistan and only bilaterally,which has long been India’s stated position.

Shringla said that America’s policy on Kashmir has been nomediation but to encourage the two South Asian neighbours to resolve theirdifferences bilaterally including on Kashmir, the pace and scope of which wouldbe chosen by New Delhi and Islamabad.“That has been the United Stateslongstanding policy,” he said in response to a question referring to America’sdecades-old policy.