Donald Trump had previously stated last month that the US-brokered talks resulted in the nuclear-armed neighbours agreeing to a ceasefire. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has firmly told United States President Donald Trump that a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following a four-day clash in May was brought about by negotiations between the two armies and not through US mediation, a senior diplomat in New Delhi reports.
PM Modi explained to President Trump clearly that in this period, there was no discussion at any point on issues such as India-U.S. trade agreement or US mediation between India and Pakistan,” Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told the media in a statement on Wednesday.
“Negotiations for stopping military operations occurred directly between India and Pakistan through the channels of existing military, and at Pakistan’s insistence. Prime Minister Modi highlighted that India never accepted mediation in the past and would never do so,” he added.
Misri reported that the two leaders had a telephone conversation late on Tuesday at Trump’s insistence after the two leaders could not meet on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, which was attended by Modi as a guest. The telephone conversation took 35 minutes.
Trump had previously stated last month that the nuclear-capable South Asian neighbours agreed to the truce after the US-brokered talks and that the fighting stopped after he appealed to the nations to pursue trade rather than war.
There was no initial response from the White House on the Modi-Trump call. Pakistan earlier stated the ceasefire was reached after its army reciprocated a call the Indian army had made on May 7. In a May interview with Al Jazeera, Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar dismissed allegations that Washington brokered the ceasefire and maintained Islamabad had acted alone.
The India-Pakistan conflict began after an April 22 shooting in Pahalgam, a part of Indian-administered Kashmir, where 26 civilians, nearly all tourists, were killed. India accused armed militants allegedly supported by Pakistan, a charge that Islamabad denied.
On May 7, India conducted missile attacks on several locations within Pakistan and Pakistan-held Kashmir. During the three following days, there were Indian and Pakistani exchanges of artillery and air strikes, targeting one another’s air bases.
Pakistan reported at least 51 individuals, including 11 soldiers and some children, being killed by Indian attacks. India’s armed forces reported that at least five of its personnel were martyred in Operation Sindoor under which it conducted the cross-border attack.
