Congress seeks Centre's clarification on third-party mediation in Kashmir issue

Thiruvananthapuram | The Congress on Monday urged the Centre to clarify whether it is open to third-party mediation on the Kashmir issue, warning that such as stance could potentially violate the Simla Agreement.

The grand old party pointed to US President Donald Trump's daily statements, claiming that he was intervening in the matter, and said a clarification from the union government on the matter was inevitable.

While addressing a party programme here, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said the party wants to know whether there has been a shift in the country's foreign policy, and therefore the matter has to be taken up in the Parliament at the earliest.

Questions are now being raised if the Simla Agreement has been violated.

"Was the Simla Agreement, which rejects any third-party involvement in the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan, violated? Trump has been making statements daily, claiming that he has intervened in the matter. We need the government's clarification," Venugopal said.

"The Congress party has asked the Prime Minister of India to urgently convene Parliament to discuss these issues. This is not to blame anyone or put them on trial." The Congress party also called for a special session of Parliament to evaluate the situation in detail, to identify any mistakes that were made, and to ensure that they are not repeated in the future.

"We must get answers to these questions in order to rectify lapses and mistakes, and to continue our fight against Pakistan without fail," he added.

His comments came after India and Pakistan on Saturday agreed to halt military actions on land, air and sea after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

There were violations of the agreement as Pakistan resorted to cross-border firing within hours of its announcement.

According to Venugopal, the country is going through a very serious situation, and the Congress, the INDIA alliance, and the entire opposition firmly stand behind the union government and the Indian Army in their strong fight against terrorism.

The leader also mentioned that in recent days, both the country and the world have recalled former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who had firmly opposed third-party intervention in the Kashmir issue.

India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to cease all military actions, following the most severe confrontation between the two countries in decades.

The escalation was triggered by a terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which left 26 dead.