The external affairs ministry on Tuesday said there was no change in India’s “longstanding national position” that issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir were a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan, seeking to contest US President Donald Trump’s repeated claim that Washington had mediated the cessation of hostilities.

Asked about Trump’s claim that the US had threatened to stop trade with both India and Pakistan if they continued to fire at each other, external affairs ministry
spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said trade did not figure in the several conversations that New Delhi had with Washington from the time Operation Sindoor commenced a
week ago. Trump repeated the claim in Riyadh on Tuesday.

“We have a longstanding national position that any issues pertaining to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir 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 illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan,” he said.

Jaiswal, however, sidestepped questions on whether the ministry had formally registered New Delhi’s protest with Washington over Trump’s claims on mediation and trade threat.

Jaiswal maintained that the military action under Operation Sindoor was entirely in the conventional domain, seeking to put an end to speculation in the media that the two countries had come close to a nuclear war. “There were some reports that Pakistan’s National Command Authority will meet on May 10. But this was later denied by them. The Pakistan foreign minister has himself denied the nuclear angle on record,” he said.

On the circumstances that led to the cessation of military action, Jaiswal said: “The specific date, time and wording of the understanding was worked out between the DGMOs of the two countries during their phone call at 15:35 hours on May 10.”

Jaiswal said: “The request for the call between both countries was received by the MEA from the Pakistani high commission at 11:37 hours. 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.

“You will of course appreciate that early on the morning of May 10, 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.”

Jaiswal pointed out that Pakistan had been told at the beginning of Operation Sindoor that India had targeted terrorist infrastructure on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam attack.

“Our stand was clear and consistent from the start. We would target terrorist infrastructure operating out of Pakistan. If the Pakistani military stayed out, there would be no problem. If they fired on us, we would respond suitably. Till the night of May 9, Pakistan was threatening India with a massive assault. Once their attempt failed on May 10 morning and they received a devastating Indian counter-response, their tune changed and their DGMO eventually reached out to us. In essence, India’s position remained the same, Pakistan’s position changed on May 10 morning after its airbases were effectively put out of action,” he said.

As for the contesting claims on damage caused to military infrastructure by either side, Jaiswal pointed the media towards the satellite pictures available commercially. “I urge you to look at the sites which Pakistan claims to have attacked. Contrast it with the places which we successfully targeted and destroyed. That will give you a clear picture,” he said.

Persona non grata

India on Tuesday declared a staff member at the Pakistan high commission persona non grata for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India and asked him to leave the country within 24 hours.

The Charge d’ Affaires of the Pakistan high commission was issued a démarche to this effect, a statement issued by the external affairs ministry said.

The overall strength of the two missions had been downsized to 30 each in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.

Bengal jawan

Jaiswal said he did not have any update on P.K. Sahu, the BSF jawan from Hooghly who is in Pakistan’s custody. “These are matters which pertain to the defence ministry and they are looking into it,” he said.