New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the Lok Sabha on Monday that the United States had no role in de-escalating military tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Rejecting US President Donald Trump’s claims, Jaishankar said there were no phone calls between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump during the critical weeks of the standoff.
“There were only two conversations—one on April 22, the day of the Pahalgam attack, and another on June 17 when the Prime Minister was in Canada. There was no communication in between,”
Jaishankar said during a discussion on ‘Operation Sindoor’. He added that at no point was trade discussed during these talks, countering Trump’s repeated assertions that he used trade pressure to prevent military escalation.
Highlighting India’s firm stance against terrorism, Jaishankar said the country had adopted a five-point policy following the Pahalgam attack.
“First, terrorists cannot be treated as representatives; second, cross-border terrorism will get a befitting reply; third, terrorism and talks cannot go together—there will only be talks on terrorism; fourth, we will not bow down to nuclear blackmail; and fifth, terrorism and good neighbourly relations cannot coexist—blood and water cannot flow together,” he said.
Jaishankar asserted that Operation Sindoor marked a turning point in India’s approach to cross-border terrorism. “The challenge continues, but this operation represents a new phase,” he said.
He also called for a united domestic front against terrorism, urging political parties to avoid divisions on national security.
“We can succeed in ensuring zero tolerance only if there is a united voice within the country,” he said. “The way parliamentary delegations presented India’s stance abroad, I hope the same unity will be reflected in the House.”
