New Delhi, May 23: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that he played a role in mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan and clarified that the recent ceasefire 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 reiterated that India is open to dialogue with Pakistan, 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.

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

However, India has consistently maintained that the Kashmir issue and related tensions are bilateral matters and do not require external mediation.

In a recent interview, Jaishankar delved into 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 nations spiked again following a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 people, including one Nepali national. In response, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, a precision counter-terror strike targeting nine key terror hubs across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

According to official sources, over 100 terrorists affiliated with notorious outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen were neutralised in the operation.

(IANS)

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