External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar clarified on Thursday that the cessation of firing and military action was a bilateral understanding between India and Pakistan, and the ceasefire agreement was a result of Pakistan making the "first move."
His statement coincides with US President Donald Trump's repeated claims that his government was a key player in facilitating the ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbors after a protracted negotiation process.
Speaking in an interview with NOS, a Dutch news agency, Jaishankar said the United States was not alone; many countries approached between May 7 and May 10 after Operation Sindoor.
He said it is routine for other nations to open lines of communication with countries in the midst of conflict.
"US Secretary of State Marco Rubio talked to me and US Vice President JD Vance talked to PM Modi," Jaishankar disclosed.
Explaining how the deal was sealed, he stated that the Indian government made it quite clear: "If Pakistan wants to cease firing, their general has to call up our general, and that is how it happened."
In addition, India conveyed to all the other nations, as well as to the US, that Pakistan was to approach India directly if it wanted a ceasefire.
Jaishankar's statement upholds the government's assertion that the ceasefire was established after Pakistan requested an end to fighting after sustained Indian air raids on its airfields.
But the opposition is not convinced, asking the Government to clear the air about Trump's repeated declarations of the ceasefire and questioning why the Prime Minister hasn't publicly contradicted them.
Earlier in the day, Congress media and public relations head Pawan Khera shared a video of Trump, noting the eighth time the US president took credit for ending Operation Sindoor.
"He says he employed commerce to get India to stop Operation Sindoor. Prime Minister Modi has not dismissed this assertion even once. What does this silence indicate?" Khera posted on X.
In a meeting yesterday evening at the Oval Office with visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump said, "If you look at what we just did with Pakistan and India. We resolved that entire, and I think I resolved it in terms of trade."
On May 10, the day that the ceasefire agreement was declared, Trump had asserted that India and Pakistan agreed to an instant and total ceasefire after a long night of negotiations "mediated" by Washington.
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