NEW DELHI, Apr 8: Virtually supporting India’s stand on Jammu and Kashmir, Saudi Arabia in a joint statement signed with Pakistan on Monday suggested both the countries to resolve their “outstanding issues” bilaterally.
The joint statement was issued a day after Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi de-facto ruler Prince Mohammed bin Salman held an official meeting on Sunday at Al-Safa Palace in Mecca.
“The two sides stressed the importance of dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries, especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to ensure peace and stability in the region,” the statement read.
India’s long-held position on Kashmir has been that it was a bilateral issue between the two countries and there was no question of any mediation or intervention by any third party.
While both India and Pakistan have longstanding friendly relations with Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, the ties between New Delhi and Riyadh have significantly improved under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Saudi Arabia has maintained a balanced approach over Jammu and Kashmir. While the Kingdom expressed concern over India’s abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, it did not explicitly condemn the actions, instead referring to it as New Delhi’s internal matter.
In 2019, Pakistan urged the US to “persuade” India to start talks on the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue. This came after then US President Donald Trump offered to mediate between the two nations on the Kashmir issue. However, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had made it clear that “any discussion on the issue, if at all warranted, will only be with Pakistan and only bilaterally.”
India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and shall forever” remain an integral part of the country. New Delhi has said it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence.
(Manas Dasgupta)
