July 23, 2019
US President Trump, during his meeting with Pakistani PM Imran Khan, has said that Pakistan is not only going to a do a lot for Afghanistan, but it will also save ‘millions of lives in Afghanistan’. President Trump said that he will be more than willing to mediate between India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue.
While responding to a question on Afghanistan, the US President said:
I think Pakistan is going to do a lot. I really do. I think Pakistan is going to make a big difference. I think Pakistan will save millions of lives in Afghanistan because I really believe that they can — they have a power that other nations don’t have with respect to Afghanistan. And I will say, as of this moment, they’re working very hard and very nicely, and we appreciate it.
The Pakistani PM also echoed similar emotions, while answering a question on the Afghan peace.
Prime Minister Imran Khan: Number one, this is the longest war that the United States has ever fought. It’s almost 19 years. Number two, I am one of those who always believed that there was no military solution, because anyone who knows the history of Afghanistan — you just have to look back at the history — there was always going to be a political settlement at the end. And I have to compliment President Trump because he has now forced people to end the war, to have a settlement. And that’s where I think Pakistan is playing a very important role because Pakistan has a 1,500-mile border with Afghanistan, and all the areas where the trouble is — which is the eastern side of Afghanistan. So this is a critical time. I’m looking forward to my talks with President Trump. We have our military leadership here because this is obviously a security situation. And what we want is understanding between the two countries. I can assure President Trump that whatever we will be saying will be the — we will be straight with them. There will never be any question of any doubt on Pakistan’s intent, because apart from Afghanistan, the country that wants peace in Afghanistan more than any other country is Pakistan because we get directly affected by it. And Pakistan needs stability. We have had 15 years of fighting this war on terror. Over 70,000 Pakistani causalities. Over $150 billion lost to the economy. So we desperately want peace. And I’m happy that President Trump has pushed this forward. So we hope — I’m looking forward to these talks.
When asked about his possible role in resolution of the Kashmir Conflict, President Trump said:
So I was with — I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago, and we talked about this subject. And he actually said, “Would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator?” I said, “Where?” He said, “Kashmir.” Because this has been going on for many, many years. I was surprised at how long; it’s been going on a long….. And I think they’d like to see it resolved. And I think you’d like to see it resolved. And if I can help, I would love to be a mediator. It shouldn’t be — I mean, it’s impossible to believe two incredible countries that are very, very smart, with very smart leadership, can’t solve a problem like that. But if you want me to mediate or arbitrate, I would be willing to do that. It should be resolved. So it — but he asked me the same, so I think there’s something. So maybe we’ll speak to him or I’ll speak to him, and we’ll see if we can do something because I’ve heard so much about Kashmir. Such a beautiful name. It’s supposed to be such a beautiful part of the world. But right now there’s just bombs all over the place. They say everywhere you go, you have bombs and it’s a terrible situation. Been going on for many years. If I can do anything to help that, let me know.
You can watch President Trump and Imran Khan’s full press talk below:
