Is Trump Really Behind India-Pakistan Ceasefire? EAM Jaishankar Clarifies Days After Mediation

File Photo of EAM S Jaishankar. (Photo: ANI)

In a big development days after the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has denied the claim made by US President Donald Trump that he played a role in mediating a ceasefire between the two countries and asserted that the understanding reached was a result of direct dialogue between the two countries without any third-party intervention.

Speaking on the matter in the Netherlands during a media interview, EAM Jaishankar said, “This is something that only India and Pakistan need to settle directly.” He underscored that New Delhi is open to dialogue with Islamabad, but only under serious terms that prioritise an end to cross-border terrorism. “We are always ready to talk, but the talks must be serious and should focus on stopping terrorism,” he added.

The comments from the EAM come in response to Trump’s earlier remarks, where the US President claimed that Washington had helped broker peace in what he described as a “thousand-year conflict” between the two South Asian nations.

India has, however, been consistent in maintaining that the Kashmir issue and related tensions are bilateral matters and do not require external mediation. In a recent interview, Jaishankar elaborated on the historical complexities of the India-Pakistan relationship, which dates back to the Partition in 1947.

He stated that Pakistan’s pattern of hostility began when it sent fighters disguised as tribal militias into Kashmir, fighters who were later identified as Pakistani soldiers, some in uniform and some not. “Over many years, Pakistan has followed a path of extremism and has used terrorism across the border to put pressure on India,” Jaishankar remarked.

Tensions between the two neighbouring countries witnessed fresh escalation again following a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 people, including one Nepali national.

In response to the dastardly terror attack, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, a precision counter-terror strike targeting nine key terror hubs across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Over 100 terrorists affiliated with notorious outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen were neutralised in the operation.

(With agency Inputs)