India has denied any role played by the United States in arranging the recent ceasefire with Pakistan. New Delhi insists that the decision to end the hostilities was entirely bilateral. On the other hand, Islamabad has repeatedly credited U.S. President Donald Trump for helping de-escalate the tension.
The ceasefire took effect on May 11, after intense military exchanges along the Line of Control (LoC). This heavily militarised boundary separates Azad Jammu and Kashmir from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Prior to the truce, both countries had been engaged in escalating conflict following India’s strikes inside Pakistan. India claimed these were in response to the Pahalgam incident last month.
The rising tensions sparked fears of a potential nuclear conflict. During a visit to Karachi on Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that the U.S. played a key role in the peace effort. “Trump is a man of peace,” said Sharif. “His administration gave the issue full attention and helped achieve the ceasefire.”
President Trump also spoke about the development. While addressing reporters in Washington, he said, “We stopped a nuclear conflict. It could have been a terrible war. Millions might have died. I’m very proud of what we did.”
India, however, strongly rejected these claims. On Monday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri addressed a parliamentary panel in New Delhi. He clarified that the ceasefire agreement was reached only between India and Pakistan. He firmly said that no third party, including the United States, was involved. He also dismissed the idea of any “nuclear signalling” from Pakistan. According to him, India had responded solely in its national interest.
Several members of the Indian parliamentary committee expressed concern. They questioned why India allowed Trump’s statements to dominate the global narrative. One MP asked why the Indian government had not responded earlier to Trump’s repeated claims about Kashmir.
The foreign secretary avoided commenting on Indian aircraft losses during the conflict. He said the matter was tied to national security and could not be discussed publicly.
Tensions peaked when India launched missile strikes on various Pakistani cities during the nights of May 6 and 7. India claimed that the attacks were directed at “terrorist camps,” following the deadly assault in Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists.
In response, Pakistan’s armed forces initiated a large-scale counter-operation named Bunyan-um-Marsoos. The retaliatory action targeted Indian military sites across several regions. Pakistan officials described the counterattack as “precise and proportionate.” According to them, it was a justified response to India’s continued aggression across the LoC and into Pakistani territory.
The firm and calculated reaction from Pakistan alarmed the global community. International powers soon became involved, which eventually led to the ceasefire between the two nuclear nations.
