Kashmir an Indo-Pak issue: Maldivian envoy, says New Delhi, Male should let 'bygones be bygones'

Seeking to minimise the damage caused by a senior Maldivian minister's remarks on Kashmir, the country's high commissioner here Ahmed Mohamed has said it was a bilateral issue that should be "resolved amicably" between India and Pakistan, as he pitched for enhanced engagement between New Delhi and Male.

Admitting that there was an "environment of mistrust" between India and Maldives caused by a host of issues in recent years, the envoy said, "lack of engagement" was responsible for the current state of affairs, but asserted that the two countries should let "bygones be bygones".

In an interview to PTI, the high commissioner also maintained that while there has been a steady steam of high-level visits from the island nation, the same was not reciprocated, an issue which many in Male feel is one of the factors for the drifting away in the relations.

Asked about the recent comments of a senior Maldivian minister bracketing the Kashmir situation with the current state of affairs in Maldives, the high commissioner said, "It was a remark to emphasise the stand that the Maldives has been taking continuously and consistently since the 1970s. We have always maintained the position that it is a bilateral issue that needs to be resolved amicably between the two countries."
He further said, "We have always maintained the position that there needs no intervention by a third country. Hence, reiteration of our position and an example from the local context to state that the existing crisis in Maldives is an internal issue which need no foreign intervention."
"We are independent and capable of dealing with the situation. If we need help, we will let India know."
Asserting that the two situations were not comparable, a senior official had said, "While the situation in Kashmir is due to state(Pakistan)-sponsored terrorism, the other is due to subversion of democracy."
"The need now is to start with a clean slate and let bygones be bygones," the envoy stressed, while making a strong pitch for a high-level visit from India. "It will make a lot of difference."
The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, had said, "We are deeply dismayed that the Government of Maldives has extended the State of Emergency for a further 30 days. The manner in which the extension of the State of Emergency was approved by the Majlis in contravention of the Constitution of Maldives is also a matter of concern."