Imran Khan likely to meet Donald Trump at UN General Assembly session on 23 September, says report

Islamabad:  Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan is likely to meet US president Donald Trump in New York on 23 September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, according to a media report. [caption id=“attachment_7108911” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Imran Khan with US President Donald Trump. Reuters[/caption] Pakistani daily Dawn quoting diplomatic sources said this could be the first of the two meetings prime minister Khan is expected to have with president Trump during the UNGA session. The Khan-Trump meeting will take place a day after Trump along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address more than 50,000 Indian-Americans at the “Howdy, Modi!” mega-event in Houston. Khan is expected to be in New York on Sunday evening when Trump will be addressing the joint rally with Modi. Both Khan and Modi are scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on 27 September. Khan has vowed to raise the Kashmir issue at the UNGA session. In Islamabad, the Foreign Office on Friday said Pakistan has taken several measures to keep a sustained focus on the situation in Kashmir. The Foreign Office in a statement said Pakistan will exercise all options available to ensure that the UN Human Rights Council actions “meaningfully impact on the ground situation in Kashmir.” In New Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Thursday said the focus of Prime Minister Modi’s week-long visit to the US from Saturday will not be on terrorism, but on highlighting India’s achievements and its global role. Amidst attempts by Pakistan to internationalise Kashmir issue, especially after the scrapping of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, Gokhale asserted that abrogation of provisions of Article 370 was an internal issue and off the agenda at the UN. Tension between India and Pakistan escalated after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. Pakistan has downgraded diplomatic ties with New Delhi and expelled the Indian High Commissioner. Without mentioning Kashmir, Trump on Wednesday said a “lot of progress has been made in reducing tension” between India and Pakistan. Prime Minister Modi, during his meeting with President Trump in France last month, had categorically rejected any scope for third party mediation on Kashmir, saying it was a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan.