India's Modi yet again denies third-party brokered peace with Pakistan

"No world leader asked us to stop the operation," says Indian prime minister

By
AFP
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Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends a meeting with US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo during the G20 Osaka Summit in Osaka on June 28, 2019. — AFP/File
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends a meeting with US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo during the G20 Osaka Summit in Osaka on June 28, 2019. — AFP/File
  • Modi addresses parliament during Op Sindoor debate.
  • Claims Pakistan pleaded with India to stop fighting.
  • Indian premier did not name Trump in his speech.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday yet again denied that any world leader pushed India to stop fighting Pakistan during their recent conflict, after repeated claims by US President Donald Trump that he had brokered peace.

The South Asian rivals fought an intense four-day conflict in May that took more than 70 lives on both sides before Trump announced a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

"No world leader asked us to stop the operation," Modi told parliament during a debate on "Operation Sindoor", the military campaign launched against Pakistan in May.

However, Modi did not name Trump in his speech.

The Indian prime minister also claimed that it was Pakistan that pleaded with India to stop fighting after feeling the "heat of our attacks".

The conflict was sparked by an April attack on tourists by gunmen in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir that left 26 men dead.

India accused Pakistan of backing the attackers, a charge Islamabad denied.

Trump has claimed numerous times that he brokered peace between the rivals, including most recently on Monday.

"If I weren't around, you'd have, right now, six major wars going on. India would be fighting with Pakistan," Trump said during his visit to Scotland.

Modi's assertion came after Rahul Gandhi from the opposition Congress party challenged the premier to say "inside the parliament that Donald Trump is lying".

Earlier Tuesday, Home Minister Amit Shah told lawmakers that three Pakistani gunmen involved in the attack in IIOJK were killed during a military operation on Monday.

The fighting in May brought the rivals close to another war, but Trump announced a ceasefire between them before the two countries did.

Soon, opposition parties in India started raising questions about third-party mediation between the foes, a claim New Delhi has always denied.