[By Guancha Observer, Shao Yun]

US President Donald Trump claimed that the US had "mediated" between India and Pakistan in their conflict and stated that he would continue to "help" the two countries reach a solution on the Kashmir issue. However, India was not convinced. On May 12th, Shilpak Ambule, India's High Commissioner to Singapore, told Bloomberg Television in an interview that the Kashmir dispute was a "bilateral issue" and that India rejected any external mediation.

When asked about the role of the US in the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, Ambule said: "For India, Kashmir is a bilateral issue, not an international one." He added: "The word 'mediation' does not apply to the Kashmir issue for us." The report commented that this represents India's "rejection" of the US mediation appeal.

According to Ambule's statement, the ceasefire agreement was reached because the heads of military operations from both Pakistan and India had made contact, and India had already achieved its goal of "destroying terrorist camps." He insisted that negotiations were conducted entirely between India and Pakistan. "Diplomacy will indeed take place, and we will also have dialogues with the other side's officials, but it is to clarify our position and the demands we have for Pakistan."

The Pakistani military, however, claimed that India was the first to propose de-escalation. According to a report by Pakistan's The Express Tribune on May 12th, Major General Babar Iftikhar, director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan, replied at a press conference on May 11th that Pakistan had never requested a ceasefire. He said: "On the nights of May 6th and 7th... India requested a ceasefire, and Pakistan's response was clear: we will only communicate further after we have responded appropriately."

Ambule interviewed by Bloomberg Television, screenshot from the program

Previously, after weeks of tense situation, India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire agreement on May 10th, agreeing to immediately cease hostilities. However, before the announcement of the ceasefire agreement by both India and Pakistan, Trump had already announced the news on social media and claimed that the ceasefire agreement was reached under "US mediation".

On local time May 11th, Trump further posted on his self-created social platform Truth Social, saying that he was proud of the US "helping" the two countries reach this historic and courageous decision. Trump boasted that he would significantly increase trade between the US and India and Pakistan, and cooperate with them to "see if a solution can be reached on the Kashmir issue in 'a thousand years'."

This caused strong criticism domestically in India, as India has consistently opposed the "internationalization" of the Kashmir issue, while Pakistan has always sought intervention from the international community. According to a report by Bloomberg citing sources, India considers itself economically stronger than Pakistan, and India sees Trump's move as treating the two countries equally, which is a major diplomatic victory for Pakistan and a blow to Modi's government image.

"We do not need intervention from the US or any other country to find a solution to the Kashmir issue," said Priyanka Chaturvedi, a member of the opposition party Shiv Sena. Another opposition member, Manish Tewari from the Indian National Congress, argued that Trump must understand that "Kashmir is not some biblical 'millennium grudge'."

The current dispute originated from a gunfight that occurred in the Indian-controlled Kashmir region on April 22nd, resulting in at least 26 deaths and 46 injuries, most of whom were tourists. India accused Pakistan of involvement, claiming that Pakistan had long "supported cross-border terrorism activities." In response, Pakistan has repeatedly denied these accusations.

Starting from midnight on May 7th, the Indian Air Force launched Operation Sindoor, an air strike operation targeting nine sites in Pakistan and the Pakistan-controlled Kashmir region. Prime Minister Sharif of Pakistan confirmed that as a response, Pakistan shot down five Indian aircraft. This was the first attack India had launched against Pakistan since 2019 and was considered the most severe conflict between the two sides in over twenty years.

Local time on the afternoon of May 12th, the military leaders of India and Pakistan will hold further talks on the ceasefire agreement. Although there were reports of violations of the ceasefire agreement on the first night after the agreement was reached on May 10th, by May 12th, the ceasefire agreement had largely been maintained. The Indian military said in a statement on May 12th that there were no incidents reported in the Indian-controlled Kashmir region during the past night, "the first peaceful night in recent days."

However, according to sources, the key Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan has "not become part of the ceasefire negotiations," and its implementation remains suspended. Some experts are concerned that this treaty could become one of the potential triggers for a new crisis.

The Indus Waters Treaty was signed by India and Pakistan in 1960 under the leadership of the World Bank, stipulating the allocation of water resources of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan. Pakistan is the main beneficiary of the treaty, receiving approximately 80% of the total water volume of the rivers. Pakistan previously stated that any attempt by India to obstruct its water supply would be regarded as "an act of war."

This article is an exclusive contribution by Guancha Observer and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7503509868632998400/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publication.