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In US, Pakistan's foreign minister backs Donald Trump's 'ceasefire' claim as he meets Marco Rubio
The US State Department also issued a statement after Ishaq Dar’s meeting with Marco Rubio, but it did not mention India.
Pakistan foreign minister Ishaq Dar ‘appreciated’ US President Donald Trump and secretary of state Marco Rubio and their role in facilitating ceasefire with India. This statement from the Pakistani foreign ministry comes after the Republican leader's repeated claims that he prevented war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
According to a statement by the Pakistan foreign office, Dar "appreciated the pivotal role" played by Trump and Rubio "in de-escalating tensions between Pakistan and India by facilitating a ceasefire." The statement came after Dar met Rubio in Washington on Friday.
The statement clearly gives more fodder to Donald Trump's claims that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after the conflict arising out of New Delhi's Operation Sindoor in May. India has denied the claim.
The US State Department also issued a statement after Ishaq Dar’s meeting with Marco Rubio, but it did not mention India.
Donald Trump's repeated claims about the India-Pakistan ceasefire
Donald Trump has repeatedly taken credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire he announced on social media on May 10 after Washington held talks with both sides. India disputes Trump's claims that the ceasefire resulted from his intervention and trade threats.
According to the central government, the ceasefire understanding with Pakistan happened after the Pakistani director general of military operations called his Indian counterpart on May 10, requesting the same.
India's position is that New Delhi and Islamabad must resolve problems bilaterally and reject any third-party intervention.
Operation Sindoor was in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
India struck nine terror targets in PoK and Pakistan on May 7 after The Resistance Front (TRF) took responsibility for the attack. TRF is a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and has since been declared a designated terror organisation by the US.
The two nations exchanged missile and drone attacks across three days, starting May 7. The ceasefire was declared on May 10.
