All Indo-Pak issues are bilateral, especially J&K: Experts

Defence experts here have strongly objected to comments by the United States (US) envoy to the United Nations (UN) Nikki Haley about the Trump administration's desrire to de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan.

Haley had told reporters in New York that the Trump administration is concerned about the relationship between India and Pakistan and is desirous to "find its place to be a part of that (de-escalating tension)...We don't think, we should wait till something happens".

Major General (retired) G.D. Bakshi on Wednesday termed Haley's remarks as 'a very worriying development' and reiterated that all issues between India and Pakistan are bilateral, especially when it relates to Jammu and Kashmir.

"Anything regarding Jammu and Kashmir is not welcome at all. This is not what we expect from the 'friendly' Trump who during the presidential campaigning had promised to be supportive of India on Indo-Pak ties and termed Pakistan the 'most dangerous country' of the world," said Major General Bakshi.

"Now, to embrace the same dangerous country in the garb of mediating between Indo-Pak dispute is not acceptable. We didn't expect this from Trump," said Bakshi, adding that "as India is getting hit on H1B1 visas, which means all hopes India had entertained are going to be dashed".

Bakshi further added: "This also means that we don't see any cooperation from the US against China. If this is the way India is going to be treated, then everyone of its core interests is going to be compromised then there is not much scope for two-way traffic in bilateral relations between India and the US."

Meanwhile, commenting on the US' statement that a Chinese veto in the UN will not prevent it from acting against Pakistan based Jaish-e-mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, Bakshi termed it as a very welcome development.

"China has been acting very obscurantist, very hypocritical on Masood Azahar. For, China has been suffering terrorism in Xinjiang and despite that if China wants to promote terrorist like Masood Azhar from being termed as globally designated terrorist then it is a very hostile act and the US has very rightly said that any Chinese veto will not prevent her from imposing sanctions on Azhar at the national level, and the US sanctions mean a big thing."

Another defence expert P.K. Sehgal said New Delhi has already told the world that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and its resolution will be through bilateral talks and not via any third party intervention or mediation, be it the US, the UN, or the European Union.

When asked about the US' new stand on Masood Azhar, Sehgal said, "It is clear-cut warning to China that the dragon is misusing its veto power, and hence, seems to be standing with terrorism."

"Fourteen out of the 15 member countries of the United Nation Security Council ( UNSC) want action against Azhar, but every time China comes forward to rescue him. The US' new stand on Azhar means that the US may act against the dreaded terrorist," said Sehgal.

-ANI