India rejected third-party mediation during Op Sindoor, says Pakistan’s Ishaq Dar, disputing Trump’s claim

Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has revealed that India categorically rejected any third-party mediation in resolving bilateral disputes during Operation Sindoor, contradicting Trump’s claims of US-brokered peace between the two neighbors.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Dar said, “…When the ceasefire offer came through Secretary Rubio to me on May 10 May around 8:17 or past 8 in the morning, I was told that there would be very soon dialogue between you and India at an independent place,” Dar told Al Jazeera.

“When we met on July 25 bilateral meeting myself with Secretary Rubio in Washington, I asked him what happened to dialogue, (Rubio) said India says that it is a bilateral issue,” Dar added.

Dar’s remarks challenge Trump’s version of events, which credited US diplomacy with preventing a potential “nuclear war” following India’s precision strikes on nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The strikes were carried out in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 people dead.

Trump, who was the first one to announce a ceasefire between India and Pakistan on his social media platform Truth Social, has repeatedly claimed credit for the truce that came after four days of strikes and counter-strikes that pushed the two countries on the brink of a war.

However, India has consistently denied any third-party involvement, asserting that the ceasefire was reached through direct military-to-military communication between the two sides, specifically via talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs).

Earlier, PM Modi had told President Trump during a phone call that India will never countenance any form of mediation in its relations with Pakistan.

“PM Modi emphasised that India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never accept it,” foreign secretary Vikram Misri had said in a statement detailing a 35-minute-long phone call between the two leaders in June.

Dar also emphasised Islamabad’s readiness for dialogue, but insisted that any talks must be comprehensive, addressing issues such as terrorism, trade, the economy, and Jammu and Kashmir.

He added that Pakistan would not “beg” for engagement, pointing to a lack of response from New Delhi, saying, “it takes two to tango.”

“We don’t mind, but India has categorically been stating it’s bilateral. We don’t mind bilateral. However, the dialogues must be comprehensive, encompassing discussions on terrorism, trade, the economy, and Jammu and Kashmir. All these subjects which we have both been discussing,” he was quoted as saying.

“We are not begging for anything. If any country wants dialogue, we are happy; we are welcome… We believe that dialogue is the way forward, but obviously it takes two to tango. So, unless India wishes to have dialogue, we can’t force dialogue. We don’t wish to force dialogue,” Dar added.

With inputs from agencies