India has reportedly rejected any mediation over its long-standing dispute on Jammu and Kashmir. The government’s stance was clear after US president Donald Trump offered to broker peace between India and Pakistan over Kashmir suggesting that the former wants Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) back.
The dispute between both the nations has been ongoing since 1947.
Sources in the government said, “The only matter related to Kashmir to discuss is Pakistan returning territory under its illegal occupation,” news agency PTI reported.
Pakistan prime minister Shebaz Sharif welcomed the mediation offer and thanked Trump for expressing his willingness to do so.
However, India has long maintained that it will not have a mediator for any dispute with Islamabad and that all matters must be resolved bilaterally in line with the Simla Agreement.
According to sources familiar with the matter, government said there will be talks with Pakistan only through the director general of military operations (DGMO) channel and that there was nothing else to discuss.
The news agency reported that US vice president JD Vance called India’s prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday to talk about de-escalation of tensions between the two Asian neighbours. Modi told him that if Pakistan attacked, India’s attack would be stronger.
India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri stated that the Pakistani DGMO called his counterpart asking for de-escalation of tension, despite the Trump administration claiming that they negotiated Saturday’s ceasefire.
On Sunday, Trump hailed the ceasefire “understanding” reached between India and Pakistan after four days of intense hostilities over the Pahalgam terror attack. The US president said that he would increase trade with the two estranged neighbours and work with them to find a solution to the Kashmir dispute.
“I am very proud of the strong and unwaveringly powerful leadership of India and Pakistan for having the strength, wisdom, and fortitude to fully know and understand that it was time to stop the current aggression that could have led to the death and destruction of so many, and so much. Millions of good and innocent people could have died! Your legacy is greatly enhanced by your brave actions.”
“I am proud that the USA was able to help you arrive at this historic and heroic decision,” Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“Additionally, I will work with you both to see if, after a “thousand years,” a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir,” he stated.