Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, publicly credited Trump for facilitating the recent India-Pakistan ceasefire following Operation Sindoor.
Sharif, accompanied by Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, praised Trump as a “man of peace”, acknowledging his “bold and decisive leadership” in helping secure a truce between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. The Pakistani readout also lauded Trump’s diplomatic initiatives on the Middle East, especially his efforts to involve Muslim world leaders in peace talks on Gaza.
Sharif further thanked Trump for a tariff deal, endorsed Pakistan’s counter-terrorism role, and invited US companies to invest in Pakistan’s key sectors like agriculture, IT, and energy. He also extended an invitation to Trump to visit Pakistan.
India’s Response
India has rejected Trump’s repeated claims of mediating a ceasefire. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar clarified that the ceasefire was achieved through direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan.
- He noted that the ceasefire was requested by Pakistan after heavy retaliation by Indian forces.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated in Parliament that “no leader in the world asked India to stop military action,” dismissing Trump’s assertions of playing a role.
The episode underscores the starkly different narratives between Pakistan and India on the ceasefire’s origin. While Pakistan aligns itself with Trump’s claims for political positioning, India maintains that the understanding was entirely bilateral, with no third-party mediation.
