Jaishankar also stressed that India and Pakistan were “very, very far away” from a nuclear conflict during their recent clashes, which US President Donald Trump claimed while announcing the cessation of hostilities between New Delhi and Islamabad.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said that the Indian Armed Forces should be thanked for the ongoing ceasefire understanding, which was requested from the Pakistani side on May 10. His remarks came after he was asked if the US had to be thanked for the ceasefire between the two countries. Jaishankar, in an interview with German newspaper FAZ, said that the ceasefire understanding was agreed upon between the military commanders of India and Pakistan through “direct contact”.
He said India effectively hit and incapacitated Pakistan’s main airbases and air defence systems, which forced the neighbouring country to seek an end to the hostilities.
“So who should I thank for the cessation of hostilities? I thank the Indian military because it was the Indian military action that made Pakistan say, We are ready to stop,” he said.
Did China play a role in India-Pakistan conflict? Jaishankar’s response
On whether China played a role in India’s conflict with Pakistan, Jaishankar only referred to Chinese-origin weapons in the Pakistani military’s armoury.
“Many of the weapons systems that Pakistan has are of Chinese origin, and the two countries are very close. You can draw your own conclusions from that,” he said.
On India’s response following the Pahalgam terror attack, Jaishankar said New Delhi sent a clear signal to the terrorists that there is a price to be paid for carrying out such attacks.
‘Very far away from nuclear conflict’: EAM’s take on India-Pakistan nuclear flashpoint
He also stressed that India and Pakistan were “very, very far away” from a nuclear conflict during their recent clashes, which US President Donald Trump claimed while announcing the cessation of hostilities between New Delhi and Islamabad.
“At no point was a nuclear level reached. There is a narrative as if everything that happens in our part of the world leads directly to a nuclear problem. That disturbs me a lot because it encourages terrible activities like terrorism,” he said.
The External Affairs Minister was in Berlin on the third and final leg of his three-nation tour of the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany.
(With inputs from agency)
