NEW DELHI: India strongly rejected claims by US President Donald Trump that he brokered a ceasefire between New Delhi and Islamabad, insisting that any understanding with Pakistan was reached directly between the two countries. Exercising India’s right of reply at the 80th UN General Assembly, Petal Gahlot, first secretary at India’s permanent mission to the UN, said: “India and Pakistan have long agreed that any outstanding issue between them will be addressed bilaterally. There is no room for any third party in that regard. This is our longstanding national position.” She stressed India’s message to the world: “There must be zero-tolerance for terrorism. Both terrorists and their sponsors will be held accountable. Nor will we allow terrorism to be practised under the cover of nuclear blackmail. India will never bow to such threats.” India also launched a scathing attack on Pakistan for what it described as “absurd theatrics” and glorification of terrorism.Gahlot dismissed Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s account of the May conflict, when Islamabad claimed victory despite India striking multiple Pakistani airbases. “The Prime Minister of Pakistan also advanced a bizarre account of the recent conflict with India. Till 9 May, Pakistan was threatening more attacks on India. But on 10 May, its military pleaded with us directly for a cessation to the fighting. The intervening event was the destruction caused to multiple Pakistani airbases by Indian forces. If destroyed runways and burnt-out hangers look like victory, as the Prime Minister claimed, Pakistan is welcome to enjoy it,” she said.Her remarks came after Sharif lauded Trump in his UN speech, nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize for allegedly facilitating the ceasefire. “Though in a position of strength, Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire facilitated by President Trump’s bold and vigorous leadership. We express our deep appreciation to him,” Sharif said, praising Trump as “a man of peace.”Trump himself has repeatedly claimed credit for halting hostilities, saying he used trade as leverage. “We stopped wars between India and Pakistan,” he told supporters, adding that 60 per cent of conflicts worldwide ended “because of trade.”India, however, maintains that the understanding to halt Operation Sindoor was reached at request of Pakistan’s Directors General of Military Operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Parliament that no foreign leader asked India to stop, while external affairs minister S Jaishankar said categorically that “there was no third-party intervention.”
