ISLAMABAD: Deep concern and visible unease have gripped government, diplomatic and policy circles in New Delhi amid reports that US President Donald Trump may raise the long-standing dispute of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir at an upcoming meeting of the US-backed Peace Board in Washington.
President Trump has invited India to join the newly formed Gaza Board of Peace.
Pakistan, along with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, has accepted membership of the board, which was formally signed into existence by President Trump on January 22.
Indian media flags “red alert”
Leading Indian daily The Hindu publicly flagged concerns over India’s potential association with President Trump’s Board of Peace. In a strongly worded editorial, the newspaper warned that the body’s peace mandate could extend beyond Gaza and potentially include Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir Kashmir.
“For India, Pakistan’s decision to join the board is a red-flag, particularly if Mr Trump decides to include the Kashmir dispute in peace plans the BoP will seek to resolve,” the editorial cautioned.
The remarks underscore mounting anxiety within India’s strategic community over the scope and long-term intent of the US-backed initiative, particularly as Pakistan has formally joined the platform.
Former diplomats voice alarm
The apprehensions have been echoed by former Indian ambassador to the United Nations, Syed Akbaruddin, who recently wrote in The Times of India that the UN Security Council resolution governing the arrangement sets its term until December 31, 2027, with mandatory reporting to the Security Council every six months.
He stressed that such oversight ensures the mechanism remains temporary and does not evolve into a permanent global model. In contrast, he warned that President Trump’s peace plan appears open-ended and “could be used outside Gaza as well,” raising concerns that it may be extended to other conflict regions including the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Akbaruddin further noted indications from some UN officials that the framework could potentially be applied to other disputes — a possibility that has intensified fears in New Delhi.
Similarly, former Indian diplomat Jayant Prasad cautioned that India should be wary of the board’s evolving role and its possible implications for South Asia. Writing in The Times of India, Prasad observed that the Board of Peace is expected to comprise 60 nations in a tiered structure, overseen by an executive body.
He warned that while Gaza may be the initial focus, the mandate may not remain confined there. Referring directly to India-Pakistan relations and the Kashmir dispute, Prasad expressed concern that the board could expand its scope to address other conflicts, “perhaps not excluding the one between India and Pakistan, one that Trump seems so fixated on.”
Prasad further remarked that India “cannot expect fair treatment” regarding Jammu and Kashmir under the chairmanship of President Trump, particularly in light of what he termed a re-hyphenation of US relations in the subcontinent.
Growing unease in New Delhi
Analysts observe that India’s unease reflects its deep-seated apprehension about the potential internationalisation of the Kashmir dispute.
The prospect of the issue being raised at a high-level international peace platform chaired by the US president has triggered visible concern across Indian political and diplomatic circles.
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