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News18
21-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
'Settled It...': Trump Again Claims He Brokered India-Pak Ceasefire In Talks With Ramaphosa
Last Updated: While holding talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a meeting at the White House, Donald Trump reiterated the claim of brokering ceasefire deal. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday yet again iterated his mediation efforts between India and Pakistan, saying that he was the one who settled the soaring tensions through trade. While holding talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a meeting at the White House, Trump reiterated the claim, which has been rejected by New Delhi. 'If you take a look at what we just did with Pakistan and India. We settled that whole thing and I think that settled it through trade. We are doing a big deal with India, doing a big deal with Pakistan," he said. The US President further claimed that he had urged both the nations-India and Pakistan to stop fighting as the military actions were going worse and severe. 'I said what are you guys doing, somebody had to be the last one to shoot but the shooting was getting worse and worse, bigger and bigger, deeper and deeper into the countries," he added. 'I hate to say we got it settled and two days later something happens and they say it's Trump's fault. Pakistan has some excellent people and India has my friend Modi, he is a great guy," Trump added. Trump Taking Credit For Ceasefire Deal The US President has been reiterating everywhere that he was the one who not only just 'broker' the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, but also averted a 'nuclear conflict'. He had also portrayed the ceasefire as a major diplomatic success, stating that he had prevented a potential nuclear war and even envisioned the leaders of India and Pakistan dining together in peace. India Rejected Trump's Claim India last week issued a firm six-point rebuttal to his claims, even laying out the sequence of events that led to the two DGMOs speaking on the phone and agreeing to cease hostilities. The Ministry of External Affairs clarified that the ceasefire was achieved directly through military-to-military channels between the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan, without any involvement of any third party, including the US. Earlier on Monday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told members of the Standing Committee on External Affairs that there was no indication of any nuclear attack from Pakistan and the United States was no where in the picture during the ceasefire talks. Operation Sindoor India launched 'precision strikes" under Operation Sindoor on nine terror targets in Pakistan and PoK following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. The strikes killed at least 10 family members of JeM chief Masood Azhar and four close aides. The sites targeted were the Pakistani bases at Rafiqui (Shorkot, Jhang), Murid (Chakwal), Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi) Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian (Kasur). In the strikes, the air bases in Skardu, Bholari, Jacobabad and Sargodha suffered extensive damage. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: May 21, 2025, 23:36 IST
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
There was no nuclear signalling
New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told a parliamentary committee on Monday that India's conflict with Pakistan was always in the conventional domain and there was 'no nuclear signalling' by the two nuclear-armed neighbours. According to sources, Vikram Misri, who led the Centre's briefing on India's 'Operation Sindoor' on Monday, reiterated that the decision to arrive at a ceasefire understanding was reached at a bilateral level as panel members raised repeated assertions by the United States on its role in stopping the four day-long military conflict. The DGMOs of the two countries reached an understanding on halting all military actions on May 10. The diplomat also asserted that Pakistan's use of Chinese-made weapon platforms 'did not matter' as the Indian armed forces managed to 'hammer' the neighbouring country's air bases while retaliating to Pakistan's escalatory attempts to target Indian military installations and civilian areas, the above-mentioned sources said. The meeting of Parliament's Standing Committee on External Affairs, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, was attended by a number of lawmakers, including the TMC's Abhishek Banerjee, the Congress' Rajeev Shukla and Deepender Hooda, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, and the BJP's Aparajita Sarangi and Arun Govil. Earlier, India's armed forces rejected reports of India hitting nuclear facilities at Kirana hills using loitering and penetrating munitions. Director General of Air Operations, Air Marshal AK Bharti, confirmed during a press conference that the Indian armed forces did not target the nuclear facility at Kirana Hills. 'Thank you for telling us that Kirana Hills houses some nuclear installation. We did not know about it. And we have not hit Kirana Hills, whatever is there,' he said in response to a reporter's question. Vikram Misri's clarification of 'no nuclear signalling' assumes significance as some Pakistani ministers and officials repeatedly pointed out to the country's nuclear arsenal as tensions ran high before the four-day conflict. Pakistan's ambassador to Russia, Muhammad Khalid Jamali, had said in an interview that his country will use its 'full spectrum of power, both conventional and nuclear', if attacked by India over the Pahalgam terror attack.
India Gazette
19-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Parliamentary panel members condemn trolling of Foreign Secretary Misri, express solidarity with him
New Delhi [India], May 19 (ANI): Members of the Standing Committee on External Affairs on Monday expressed their solidarity with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri against online trolling after he had announced that India and Pakistan had reached an understanding for stopping military action following Operation Sindoor. The members said he has performed good service for the nation. Talking to reporters after a meeting of the Standing Committee, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said the members expressed a desire to have a resolution expressing solidarity with the Foreign Secretary in the face of the unwarranted attacks or comments, but Misri requested that there should be no resolution. Misri briefed the members on current foreign policy developments regarding India and Pakistan in the wake of Operation Sindoor carried out by India on May 7. India had carried out Operation Sindoor early on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack and launched precise strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK. Indian Armed Forces responded effectively to Pakistan's subsequent aggression and pounded its airports. Tharoor, who heads the panel, said several questions were raised in the three-hour discussion and detailed answers were received. 'We had a very comprehensive and rich discussion. As you can see, a meeting that normally would have finished by 6 o'clock, has gone on till 7 o'clock. It was a very thorough, wide-ranging discussion. We had 24 members attending, which I think is a record for this committee. The fact is that this was a very thorough discussion. Many of the MPs had thoughtful questions to ask. There was even a desire to have a resolution expressing solidarity with the Foreign Secretary in the face of the unwarranted attacks or comments, he himself requested that there should be no resolution but it was a unanimous sentiment of the committee, that he has performed good service for the nation, we all stand with him,' Tharoor said 'That was not a formal resolution but it was definitely the wish of everyone. I also want to add that the committee has, in many ways, covered a lot of constructive ground and has left with satisfactory responses to various have had a good discussion,' he added. He said a lengthy discussion was held with the MEA in which 24 members took part and 'a lot of people had questions' and 'detailed and satisfactory responses to those questions' were received. 'All committee members wanted to encourage the Foreign Secretary and announce our solidarity against everything that was said on social media against him and his family. This is absolutely wrong. The entire committee supports him. We would also like to say that he has served the nation well and we are thankful to him for questions were raised in the 3-hour discussion, and detailed answers were received for them,' he said. India and Pakistan have reached an understanding for stopping military action following a call made by Pakistan's DGMO to his Indian counterpart. (ANI)
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Business Standard
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Vikram Misri briefs MPs on Op Sindoor: No nuclear threat, Trump role denied
The briefing covered nuclear threat reports, use of Chinese weapons by Pakistan, and clarity on the ceasefire decision after Operation Sindoor. Here are the key highlights New Delhi Days after Operation Sindoor and the action that followed, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday briefed a parliamentary committee on the developments. The briefing was held for Parliament's Standing Committee on External Affairs, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. Among the members present were TMC's Abhishek Banerjee, Congress leaders Rajeev Shukla and Deepender Hooda, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, and BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi and Arun Govil. Key points from Misri's briefing Misri informed the committee that tensions between India and Pakistan had remained within the bounds of conventional warfare, with no indication of nuclear signalling from Pakistan, according to sources quoted by PTI. The mention of nuclear signalling arose after repeated references to nuclear capability by Pakistani leaders and unverified reports of an Indian strike on a nuclear facility in Pakistan's Kirana Hills. However, Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Marshal A K Bharti had earlier denied any such attack. Responding to opposition members' concerns over US President Donald Trump's repeated claims that his administration de-escalated the conflict, Misri clarified that the decision to halt military operations was taken bilaterally by India and Pakistan. Asked about Pakistan's use of Chinese weaponry, Misri reportedly said it 'did not matter,' adding that Indian forces had 'hammered' Pakistani air bases. 'Good service to the nation': Tharoor backs Misri After the meeting, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor described the discussions as 'very comprehensive and rich.' 'We had 24 members attending, which I think is a record for this committee,' he said, noting that several MPs expressed solidarity with the Foreign Secretary amid recent criticism. While no formal resolution was passed, Tharoor said the unanimous sentiment was that 'he has performed good service for the nation, we all stand with him.' Operation Sindoor India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK), in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack last month that killed 26 people. The strikes destroyed camps of terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen, reportedly killing over 100 terrorists. Responding to the operation, Pakistan carried out drone and missile strikes targeting western India. However, they were intercepted by the Indian Armed Forces. Amid global concerns about escalations, India and Pakistan agreed to halt military action on May 10, bringing an end to hostilities.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
India-Pakistan conflict was always in conventional domain: Vikram Misri to parliamentary panel
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told a parliamentary committee on Monday that the conflict between India and Pakistan was always in the conventional domain, and there was no nuclear signalling by the neighbouring country, sources said. The sources said Misri reiterated the government's stand that the decision to stop military actions was taken at a bilateral level, as some opposition members questioned US President Donald Trump's repeated assertions about his administration's role in stopping the conflict. The Ministry of External Affairs, in a presentation to the Standing Committee on External Affairs which is headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, asserted that the initial probe into the Pahalgam terror attack revealed "communication nodes" of terrorists with their "masterminds in Pakistan". The ministry said Pakistan's track record as terror sanctuary is well established, rooted in solid facts and evidence, and said it blames India for the killings of some individuals on its soil despite its allegations being devoid of any facts or any evidence. It is meant to draw a false equivalence between the two counrries, the ministry said, adding that UN-designated terrorists roam freely in Pakistan and continue to incite violence against India. When some opposition members of the committee prodded him on the US leader's repeated attempts to take centre stage, India's top diplomat quipped that Trump did not seek his consent for doing so. Live Events No other country, the foreign ministry in its presentation said, has "any locus standi" to comment on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir , a clear repudiation of the US' suggestion for mediation between India and Pakistan. The US leader had even claimed that his country stopped a likely nuclear war that could have killed millions of people. Several members, mostly from the opposition, raised questions related to the Pahalgam terror attack, whether Pakistan used Chinese platforms, the hostile stand of Turkiye and Azerbaijan against India, Pakistan's success in getting an IMF loan, and social media-dominated discourse on a host of issues. An opposition member asked why the Indian government has not come out strongly to rebut Trump. The foreign ministry, though, has made it clear in its earlier briefings that India and Pakistan agreed on the cessation of firing bilaterally, a point reiterated by Misri who noted the decision was taken at the DGMO-level talks at the request of the neighbouring country. Replying to queries from members, Misri said the conflict between India and Pakistan was always in the conventional domain, and there was no nuclear signalling by the neighbouring country. Tharoor told reporters after the three-hour meeting, which he said was attended by a record 24 members, that the committee unanimously expressed solidarity with Misri in the face of "unwarranted attacks" he had faced online after the two sides agreed to stop military actions. As Misri and his family had been at the receiving end of trolls' vitriol, the committee expressed support for his good service to the nation. The committee wanted to pass a formal resolution but the IFS officer requested against it. Some MPs, the sources said, asked if Pakistan used Chinese platforms in the conflict. Misri said it did not matter as India hammered Pakistani air bases. To a question about Pakistan managing to secure a loan from the IMF, he said India opposed it but different countries are guided by their own interests, sources said. To questions about Turkiye's adversarial stand against India, he said the country had traditionally not been a supporter of India and added that he did not foresee any chance of improvement in Indo-Pak ties due to the neighbouring country's continuous display of hostility. The ministry said in its presentation that India witnessed last year alone at least 24 terrorist attacks linked to Pakistan-based terror organisations, leading to the death of 24 security personnel and 30 civilians. "Terrorists are found to be using military grade weapons, assistance through drones, secure communication equipment, navigational aids, steel-coated bullets and assistance in infiltration through coordinated ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops," it said, seeking to establish the help provided by the Pakistani state in terror activities. Misri was also dismissive of the opposition's criticism of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi citing a comment by him to claim that Pakistan was informed about Operation Sindoor and asking how many planes India lost due to this. The minister is being quoted in wrong context, he said, adding that a contact was made with Pakistan at the DGMO level only after the strikes on terror sites on May 7. The meeting was attended by a number of lawmakers, including the TMC's Abhishek Banerjee, the Congress' Rajeev Shukla and Deepender Hooda, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, and the BJP's Aparajita Sarangi and Arun Govil. The meeting's agenda was the "current foreign policy developments regarding India and Pakistan", which comes against the backdrop of the Indian armed forces carrying out Operation Sindoor to avenge the Pahalgam attack and the subsequent military actions between the two countries. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on halting all military actions on May 10.
