In a written response to the query in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said, “All our interlocutors were given a common message that India’s approach was focused, measured and non-escalatory.” The MoS said India and Pakistan agreed on May 10 for a “cessation of firing and military activity as a result of direct contact between the DGMOs of both nations. This contact was initiated by the Pakistani side”.
India had “already achieved on 08 May the main objectives” that it had set forth in terms of destroying designated terrorism infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, he added.
Between April 22 when the Pahalgam terrorist attack happened and May 10, there were a “number of diplomatic conversations with various countries at different levels, including with the United States,” the minister said in his response.
“With specific regard to the US, it was conveyed to Vice President J D Vance on May 9 that India would ‘appropriately respond’ if Pakistan launched a major attack. The issue of our trade discussions did not come up in the context of conversations pertaining to the conflict,” he added.
As regards any proposal for third-party mediation, “our long standing position remains that any outstanding issue with Pakistan will be discussed only bilaterally. This has been made clear to all nations, including by the Prime Minister to the US President”, he said. PTI KND KSS KSS