Third-party mediation only way to resolve Kashmir dispute: Qureshi

Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has rejected the possibility of bilateral talks with India, saying that the third party mediation is the only way to resolve Kashmir issue.

Qureshi’s statement has come even though Islamabad has been left red-faced after its desperate attempts to internationalise the Kashmir issue fell flat. The country has found itself isolated after being snubbed at the United Nations, as well as by countries like the United States, France, and Russia.

After the abrogation of Article 370, Islamabad took a series of moves such as downgrading diplomatic ties and suspending bilateral trade with India as a way to demonstrate.

India has maintained that the move on Kashmir is its “internal matter” – a stance that has been supported by many countries, and asked Pakistan to review these decisions so that normal channels for diplomatic communications are preserved.