- India has consistently rejected third-party mediation with Pakistan, says FM Mohammad Ishaq Dar.
- US mediation efforts during Operation Sindoor in May and July were turned down by India.
- Pakistan open to third-party mediation, but India insists talks remain bilateral.
- Dar emphasizes dialogues must cover terrorism, trade, economy, and Jammu & Kashmir.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 16th Sept: India has consistently refused third-party mediation in its dealings with Pakistan, and the US encountered another refusal as recently as July, Pakistan Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar told Al Jazeera.
Asked about prospects for talks with India following Operation Sindoor and whether back-channel talks had started, Dar recounted his conversations with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during Operation Sindoor in May and again in July.
“When the ceasefire offer came to me through Secretary Rubio on May 11 at 8.17 am, I was told that ‘Very soon, there will be dialogue between you and India at an independent place,'” he said. “When we met on 25 July, bilateral meeting (between) myself and Secretary Rubio in Washington, he said, ‘India says it is bilateral,'” Dar added, indicating that US mediation efforts had again fallen through.
Dar’s comments come amid repeated claims by US President Donald Trump that Washington had brokered peace between India and Pakistan in May, following India’s retaliation to the April 20 terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. India has consistently denied these US claims.
Dar said Pakistan would not mind third-party mediation but India has “categorically said it is bilateral.” He stressed that bilateral dialogues must be comprehensive, covering terrorism, trade, economy, and Jammu and Kashmir.
He also acknowledged Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach during Operation Sindoor. “We must appreciate the very positive role US played during the India-Pakistan war. We never asked anybody for ceasefire. I talked almost 60 times to world global capitals before the 7th of May when we had the air battle and after 10th of May when we had the ground battle,” he said.
Dar added, “I know that the overwhelming majority—whether they are Muslim countries or non-Muslim countries—want to see peace, diplomacy and dialogue.”
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