US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (early Thursday morning in Pakistan) that other countries must assume the battle against Islamic extremist militant groups as the US negotiates a withdrawal from Afghanistan.
He singled out Pakistan as a frontline country that is doing “little” to fight militant groups.
“Look, India’s right there, they are not fighting it, we’re fighting it. Pakistan is next door. They’re fighting it, very little […] it’s not fair. The United States is seven thousand miles away,” he told reporters.
In the similar presser, Trump once again offered to mediate the “explosive” situation in Kashmir amid mounting international concern over a flare-up in violence between Pakistan and India in the disputed region.
A day after having telephonic conversations with the premiers of both countries, Trump said that he was happy to try and help calm the situation in Kashmir where tensions have spiked since India revoked autonomous rule in the part of the region under its occupation on August 5.
His comments came as Pakistan said that three of its civilians died in Indian gunfire from across the de facto border in Kashmir known as the Line of Control (LoC).
Trump — who has previously spoken of his willingness to mediate — said that he would raise the situation over the weekend with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both men are expected in France for a summit of the Group of Seven industrialized nations.
“Kashmir is a very complicated place. You have Hindus and you have the Muslims and I would not say they get along so great,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
“You have millions of people that want to be ruled by others and maybe on both sides. And you have two countries that have not gotten along well for a long time. And, frankly, it is a very explosive situation,” he said.
