Kashmir Issue Should Be Addressed By India, Pakistan; No Change In Stand: MEA On Trump’s Offer
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The Ministry of External Affairs said the force of Indian armed forces compelled Pakistan to appeal for a ceasefire and said there was no mention of trade in talks with the US.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. (MEA)
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said that India’s longstanding national position that any issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally, and that policy has not changed.
“We have a longstanding national position that any issues pertaining to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally. That stated policy has not changed. As you are aware, the outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a briefing.
Jaiswal was responding to US President Donald Trump, who claimed that America had mediated talks between India and Pakistan for a ceasefire, even as India had insisted that Pakistan’s DGMO had called up his Indian counterpart and urged a ceasefire.
“The specific date, time and wording of the understanding were worked out between the DGMOs of the two countries at their phone call on May 10, 2025. The request for this call was received by the MEA from the Pakistani High Commission at 1237 hrs. The Pakistani side had initial difficulties connecting the hotline to the Indian side for technical reasons,” he added.
“You will of course appreciate that early on 10th morning, we had mounted an extremely effective attack on key Pakistani Air Force bases. That was the reason they were now willing to stop firing and military action. Let me be clear. It was of force of Indian arms that compelled Pakistan to stop its firing.”
India-US Trade
Without naming the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Monday, hinted that no third party had influenced India’s decision to pause hostilities with Pakistan since May 10. This came after Trump said he had told India and Pakistan that there would be no trade with them if they didn’t stop hostilities.
“From the time Operation Sindoor commenced on May 7 till the understanding on cessation of firing and military action on May 10, there were conversations between Indian and US leaders on the evolving military situation. The issue of trade did not come up in any of these discussions,” said Jaiswal.
He further said that India had conveyed to other countries that it was responding to the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22 by targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan. It was conveyed to countries that India would respond in kind if Pakistani forces fired.
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