India will only discuss bilaterally with Pakistan, and the only matter concerns vacation of POJK: MEA

United News of India

13-05-2025

New Delhi, May 13 (UNI) Two days after US President Donald Trump said that he would work with India and Pakistan to see if a solution can be arrived at regarding Kashmir, New Delhi made very clear that any issue pertaining to J&K would be discussed directly with Pakistan, and it would be regarding "the outstanding matter of the vacation of the illegally occupied territory of POJK".
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing the media in the wake of the ceasefire understanding between India and Pakistan arrived, also said today that it was the Pakistan High Commission that approached the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on May 10 at just after noon, to initiate a talk between their Directors General of Military Operations, for cessation of hostilities.
'The specific date, time and wording of the understanding was worked out between the DGMOs of the two countries at their phone call on 10 May 2025 commencing 1535 hrs.
'The request for this call was received by the MEA from the Pakistani High Commission at 1237 hrs.
'The Pakistani side had initial difficulties connecting the hotline to the Indian side for technical reasons. The timing was then decided based on the availability of the Indian DGMO at 1535 hrs,' he said.
On the issue of talks between India and Pakistan, he said:
'We have a long-standing national position that any issues pertaining to the Union territory of J&K have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally. That stated policy has not changed. As you are aware - the outstanding matter is the vacation of the illegally occupied territory by Pakistan.'
He said that Pakistan's capitulation came following the barrage of fierce attacks launched by India on Pakistani airbases.
'You will of course appreciate that early on 10th morning, we had mounted an extremely effective attack on key Pakistani Air Force bases. That was the reason they were now willing to stop firing and military action.
'Let me be clear. It was the force of Indian arms that compelled Pakistan to stop its firing,' he said.
To a question on what countries were conveying to India, during the hostilities, he said:
'As regards the conversations with other nations, the message from India was clear and consistent.
'And exactly the same message that we were conveying from public platforms was the one conveyed in private conversations.
'It was that India was responding to the 22nd April terrorist attack by targeting the terrorist infrastructure. However, if the Pakistani armed forces fire, Indian armed forces will fire back; if Pakistan stops, India will also stop.
'This was also the message that was conveyed to the Pakistani side at the time of the commencement of Operation Sindoor, which was not heeded to by the Pakistani side at that time.
'It is natural that many foreign leaders who heard this from us would have shared it with their Pakistani interlocutors."
On May 11, US President Trump had said he is proud that the USA was able to help India and Pakistan arrive at the ceasefire agreement, and added that he would work with both countries to see if a solution can be arrived at regarding Kashmir.
In a post on his Truth Social, the US President said: 'Additionally, I will work with you both (India and Pakistan) to see if, after a 'thousand years,' a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir."
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