*New Delhi: **Pakistan and US strategic shift frustratingly forced IndianPM Modi’s August 5 action against Occupied Kashmir.*
US President Donald Trump’s warm welcome to Pakistan Prime Minister ImranKhan on his July 2019 visit and his subsequent offer to mediate on Kashmirmight have triggered the Modi government’s 5 August 2019 decision to scraparticles 370 and 35Alink.
This is an assessment made in a reportlink by aresearch agency attached with the US Congress.
“Trump’s Kashmir mediation claims were especially jarring for many Indianobservers, some of whom began questioning the wisdom of Modi’s confidencein the United States as a partner,” said the report of the CongressionalResearch Service (CRS), released last month.
“The episode may have contributed to India’s August moves,” the 24-pagereport added.
The CRS is tasked with providing non-partisan analysis to US Congressmembers on matters that may come up before the American parliament. CRSreports are not considered to be views of the US Congress.
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In July 2019, Khan made his first US trip as prime minister.
According to the report, the manner in which President Trump welcomed Khanin Washington had “elicited disquiet among many Indian analysts”. Theinteraction, the report said, was seen by these analysts as yet anotherattempt by the US to link India and Pakistan.
It also referred to “disquiet” in India on account of the US’ support forthe International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout for Pakistan last year — thecountry’s 13th since the late 1980slink,the Print has reported.
