India Rejected Third-Party Mediation During Operation Sindoor, Confirms Pakistan’s Deputy PM:

Islamabad/New Delhi, Sept 17: In a revealing interview with Al Jazeera, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, stated that India firmly rejected any third-party mediation during the high-tension period of Operation Sindoor, contradicting earlier claims made by former U.S. President Donald Trump. President Trump had asserted that his administration played a key role in brokering a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, claiming in several interviews since May that U.S. diplomacy "averted a potential nuclear war." However, Dar presented a different version of events. He stated that after India conducted precision strikes in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians, Pakistan sought a ceasefire through diplomatic channels. According to Dar, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio conveyed India’s firm stance that it would not accept any foreign mediation. “When the ceasefire offer came through Secretary Rubio on May 10, I was informed that India does not support third-party involvement,” said Dar. “Later, in our bilateral meeting on July 25 in Washington, I asked Secretary Rubio about the proposed dialogues. He clearly stated, ‘India considers this a bilateral issue.’” India’s Operation Sindoor involved precision strikes targeting nine identified terrorist infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack. While Pakistan expressed willingness to engage in talks, Dar emphasized that any dialogue must be “comprehensive” and include discussions on a range of issues—terrorism, trade, economy, and the long-standing Kashmir dispute. “We don’t mind bilateral talks. In fact, we prefer them. But these talks must be meaningful and cover all core concerns. We are not begging anyone for dialogue. It takes two to tango,” Dar noted. He reiterated Pakistan’s consistent position that diplomacy and dialogue are the only way forward, but clarified that talks cannot happen unilaterally. India, meanwhile, has continued to maintain its position that all issues with Pakistan are strictly bilateral and need no external involvement. Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar had earlier dismissed Trump’s claims of U.S. mediation as “bizarre, if not unfair.” The Indian government attributed the eventual de-escalation to direct military communication between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries, not any international intervention. This latest statement from Pakistan’s deputy PM reaffirms India’s long-standing position on bilateralism and underscores the diplomatic deadlock between the two nations. Despite multiple offers from Pakistan for dialogue, New Delhi remains firm that talks can only take place in an environment free from terror. With tensions simmering below the surface, both nations continue to walk a diplomatic tightrope. While dialogue remains an option, mutual trust and a terror-free atmosphere appear to be the biggest roadblocks.

NEWS