As New Delhi keeps beating the war drums, the United States President Donald Trump has weighed in on the development, voicing alarm at what he called 'a very dangerous' standoff between India and Pakistan.
He even indicated that his country and others are trying to defuse tensions between South Asia’s two nuclear-tipped nations. ‘Right now between Pakistan and India, there is a very, very bad situation. A very dangerous situation,” Trump told reporters on Friday.
“We would like to see it [hostilities] stop. A lot of people were just killed. We want to see it just stop. We are very much involved in that [process],” he added. The words of the world’s most powerful leader are reassuring for the region, especially the indication that multiple countries are working to calm the situation, in the backdrop of how India has ratcheted up war frenzy following the February 14 suicide bombing in Indian occupied Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Although a banned outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad claimed responsibility for the assault, New Delhi took no time in pointing accusatory fingers at Islamabad and threatening a retaliatory strike.
Prime Minister Imran Khan promised to conduct an investigation if New Delhi provided 'actionable evidence' but also warned that Pakistan will 'retaliate' if attacked.
Anxious at the rising tensions, world capitals, as President Trump hinted in his news briefing, immediately got in touch with both New Delhi and Islamabad to defuse the situation.
“We’re talking and a lot of people are talking [...] but it is a very, very delicate balance going on. Right now, there is (sic) a lot of problems between India and Pakistan because of what just happened,” Trump said.
But despite conciliatory gestures shown by Islamabad, Indian leadership keeps rattling its sabre and taking actions certain to muddy the waters. It has launched a crackdown against Kashmir leadership, arresting JKLF’s Yasin Malik and Jamaat-e-Islami workers.
In the volatile situation, the Foreign Office has set up a ‘crisis management cell’. It will keep all stakeholders updated over border situation and diplomatic contacts. Let us hope that common sense prevails across the border and the situation does not spill out of control.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2019.
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