Desk:Following the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, India has made it unequivocally clear that any bilateral dialogue with the neighboring country can only begin if Pakistan vacates Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). In a press conference on Tuesday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “Our consistent position has been that the Kashmir issue must be resolved bilaterally between India and Pakistan. This position remains unchanged.” He also asserted that India does not accept any third-party mediation on the Kashmir issue.
Speaking firmly, Jaiswal said, “The only issue with Islamabad on Kashmir is the return of territories illegally occupied by Pakistan.” He further revealed that Pakistan only changed its stance after its airbases were destroyed. The ceasefire agreement was reached following a conversation between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries on May 10. He informed that Pakistan had formally requested the ceasefire at 12:37 PM on the same day. However, due to technical issues, the actual DGMO call took place later at 3:35 PM.
He added that earlier that morning, Pakistan’s airbases had been destroyed in an aerial strike. Jaiswal also dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that trade talks played a role in bringing about the ceasefire. He categorically stated that trade was not discussed in any of the conversations with American leaders.
It is worth noting that President Trump, during a press conference at the White House yesterday, had claimed credit for helping bring about the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, saying, “We helped a lot. We helped through trade. We told them, ‘We do a lot of trade with you. If you stop fighting, we’ll continue. If not, we won’t.’ As soon as the trade threat came in, they agreed to stop.”
Jaiswal accused Pakistan of nurturing terrorism like an industry. He stated that India had dismantled terrorist infrastructure responsible for the deaths of not only Indian citizens but also innocent people around the world. The Ministry made it clear that India will continue to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty until Pakistan ends its support for cross-border terrorism in a credible and irreversible manner.
In response to a question, Jaiswal confirmed that India will not release water to Pakistan for now. Addressing President Trump’s remarks about the possibility of a nuclear conflict, he stated that India’s military actions were strictly limited to conventional weaponry. He also said that India would be submitting more evidence about the TRF (The Resistance Front) terrorist group to the UN Security Council.
Jaiswal concluded by saying that Pakistan has a history of celebrating defeats and playing the drum even after losing. He accused Pakistan of spreading false narratives about attacking Indian positions.