Trump's mediation remark sparks fresh debate over internationalisation of Kashmir 'issue'

Srinagar: US President Donald Trump’s offer to help provide a “solution” to the “Kashmir issue”—coming just after the India-Pakistan ceasefire, reportedly brokered with American involvement—has triggered a flurry of reactions in Kashmir, reigniting the debate over whether the long-standing conflict has once again been internationalised.

Trump’s remarks, made over the weekend, follow a rare thaw in relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, who agreed to a ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border on Saturday evening after days of military escalation.

India had launched strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to a deadly attack in Pahalgam, prompting a response from Pakistan with missile and drone attacks raising concerns of nuclear conflict.

But while the guns have gone quiet for now, political voices in Kashmir are raising questions about the implications of Trump’s offer and whether it undermines the Indian government’s position since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 that the Kashmir issue has been settled forever.

“Give it any administrative definition, Kashmir remains intact in its political essence. Friend Trump wants it resolved,” wrote former Jammu and Kashmir minister and senior PDP leader Naem Akhtar in a Facebook post on Sunday.

His remarks reflect a growing sentiment in the Valley that the “final solution” proclaimed by the BJP-led government after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 may not be as permanent as once declared.

Following the revocation of the region’s special status, New Delhi had ruled out any negotiations with Pakistan until Islamabad stopped supporting cross-border terrorism. However, Trump’s mediation pitch—widely seen as validation of American diplomatic involvement in securing the ceasefire—has challenged that narrative.

Reacting to Akhtar’s post, Anil Sethi, former chairman of the Citizens Cooperative Bank in Jammu, remarked: “It’s neither internal nor bilateral…. Hence proved that it’s international.”

A Kashmiri Facebook user, Arshid Aziz, posted: “Has it backfired India? After the abrogation of article 370, it was believed in mainland India that there is nothing like Kashmir Issue. It has been permanently resolved. Now, Kashmir Issue is again in news and yet again became a debate on the World level.”

However, not everyone agrees. Shesh Pal Vaid, former Director General of J&K Police, dismissed the notion of internationalisation, reiterating India’s official stance. “As far as the Kashmir issue is concerned, India's stated policy is that we do not welcome any third party intervention, this is as per Simla Agreement, this is a dispute between two countries and they will sit together to resolve this...”