Pakistan has criticised India for dismissing Donald Trump's role in brokering a truce during recent clashes that US President maintains threatened to escalate into a nuclear conflict before US mediation.
"I don't know why they (India) want to rob President Trump of this victory, the role that he played… I believe that the United States should be celebrated," Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Pakistan's former foreign minister and a coalition partner in Pakistan's government, told media in Washington DC on Friday.
Bhutto-Zardari was responding to a question regarding India's denial that Trump brokered a truce during a four-day conflict between India and Pakistan (from May 7-10), which became the most serious military crisis in decades between the two rival nuclear states of South Asia.
Trump has repeatedly mentioned his efforts, praising Pakistani and Indian leaders for agreeing to a ceasefire after his trade-leveraged intervention.
New Delhi denies Trump's truce role, while Islamabad credits the US leader.
Indian lawmaker Shashi Tharoor, leading an all-party delegation in Washington DC, has firmly denied Trump's role in brokering peace between India and Pakistan.
Tharoor said that India never sought third-party mediation.
However, Bhutto-Zardari — who was in the US as part of Pakistan's broad engagement campaign to present its perspective on the recent increase in tensions with India and counter New Delhi’s diplomatic efforts — sought to commend Trump's role in halting the conflict.
"For five days, they (Trump and his team) were up all night trying to resolve the crisis… The common decency is to appreciate and acknowledge what they've done. What I am more concerned about is that … the Indian government is worried about the political blowback."
Kashmir dispute
He accused New Delhi of trying to run away from the ceasefire commitment.
"In their attempts to, sort of, run away from the commitment about the ceasefire, they will try to sabotage President Trump's broader vision for peace in the region as articulated by the Secretary of State (Marco Rubio) that there could be a dialogue at a neutral territory to discuss all friction points."
Bhutto-Zardari was leading the delegation comprising former foreign ministers Hina Rabbani Khar and Khurram Dastgir. Senators Sherry Rehman, Musadik Malik, Faisal Sabzwari and Bushra Anjum Butt, along with senior envoys Jalil Abbas Jilani and Tehmina Janjua, were also part of the delegation.
During the visit, the delegation met with the US officials, UN Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly, members of the Security Council, ambassadors of the OIC group in New York, media representatives, civil society, and the Pakistani diaspora.
Bhutto-Zardari, who flew back to Pakistan on Friday evening, said his country deeply appreciates the critical role played by the United States, especially President Trump "who again today reaffirmed his leadership in facilitating the Pakistan-India ceasefire."
"This marked a vital first step toward de-escalation and dialogue. I underscored the urgency of addressing the root causes: the unresolved Jammu & Kashmir dispute, the dangerous weaponisation of water, and the need for counterterrorism cooperation as part of comprehensive dialogue. Pakistan remains committed to peace, anchored in justice, diplomacy, and international law."
