London; 23 July 2019: The Kashmiri diaspora leaders and Executive Members of Organisation of Kashmir Coalition (OKC), Prof Nazir Ahmed Shawl and Barrister A Majid Tramboo have hailed President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate on the long running Kashmir conflict. At a press briefing in the Oval Office of the White House, along with the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, the President was very categorical that the Indian Prime Minister Modi raised the Kashmir mediation issue with him just two weeks back when he met him and that he is happy to “mediate or arbitrate”.

President Trump described Kashmir “a beautiful place but with bombs everywhere”. Indeed, this demonstrates, Prof Shawl and Barrister Tramboo stated, that the President has been properly briefed about the current situation of Kashmir and it is safe to assume, in particular, about the gross human rights violations those are being perpetrated on Kashmiris in the Indian Held Kashmir and the pending issue of their right to self-determination.

The two leaders believe that President Trump is sincere in his offer of mediation as he prefers to see safe and secure South Asia (bearing in mind that the region is a nuclear flash point) and that this is in line with his current policy to establish peace in Korea and Afghanistan.

President Trump’s optimism that the Kashmir conflict, which is the longest standing conflict, can be resolved, was found by Barrister Tramboo and Prof Shawl “very encouraging”.

“India Pakistan relations have revolved around this conflict ever since they became independent; this root cause of tension has impacted negatively on regional cooperation in South Asia; it has multiplied uncertainty, pain and agony for the people of an idyllic geography; cycles of violence must now conclude and peoples aspirations need to be fulfilled; peace in Kashmir will compliment peace in Afghanistan”, the two leaders added.

Prof Shawl and Barrister Tramboo hoped that the mediation effort will lead to a way forward and that both Pakistan (although the Prime Minister Imran Khan reciprocated at the press briefing) and India will wholeheartedly accept the offer for a pragmatic and vibrant engagement.