New Delhi, May 22: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has clarified that the recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan was a direct bilateral arrangement and not the result of international mediation, reports the media. In an interview with Dutch broadcaster NOS, Jaishankar said, “The ceasefire was not negotiated by anyone else. It was the Pakistani army which sent a message that they were ready to stop firing, and we responded accordingly.”
Tensions flared after a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which killed 26 civilians.
India responded with Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terror-linked sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Over 100 terrorists were reported killed, including members of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Jaishankar defended the operation, stating, “If there are acts of the kind we saw on April 22nd, there will be a response. We will hit the terrorists. If the terrorists are in Pakistan, we will hit them where they are.” He dismissed suggestions of US involvement, saying, “The US was in the United States. We made it clear to everyone that if the Pakistanis want to stop fighting, they need to tell us directly.”
On Kashmir, Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s position: “Kashmir is part of India. No country negotiates a part of its territory.” He added that talks, if any, must be serious and bilateral: “This is something between us and the Pakistanis. We propose to deal with it bilaterally.”
