"India Said It Is Bilateral Issue": Pak Minister On US Attempt At Mediation
India has consistently refused third party mediation in its dealings with Pakistan, and the US has encountered another refusal as late as July, Pakistan foreign minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has told news channel Al Jazeera.
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New Delhi:
Pakistan foreign minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has revealed to Al Jazeera that India has once again declined third-party mediation in its relationship with Pakistan, with the US facing another rejection as recently as July.
When questioned about potential dialogues with India following Operation Sindoor and the existence of back-channel communications, Dar shared details of his discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during May's Operation Sindoor and subsequently in July.
"Secretary Rubio contacted me about a ceasefire offer on May 11 at 8:17 am, informing me that 'Soon there will be dialogue between you and India at a neutral location,'" he explained.
"Later during our bilateral meeting in Washington on July 25, Secretary Rubio informed me that 'India maintains this is a bilateral issue,'" added the Pakistani minister, suggesting that America's mediation attempts had been unsuccessful once again.
Dar's statements come as US President Donald Trump repeatedly claims that Washington successfully mediated peace between India and Pakistan in May, following India's retaliation to the April 20 terrorist attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.
India has consistently rejected these US assertions.
The Pakistani minister stated that while Pakistan would welcome third-party mediation, "India has explicitly stated it is bilateral."
"We are open to bilateral discussions, but they must be comprehensive—covering terrorism, trade, economic relations, and Jammu and Kashmir," he added, acknowledging that Pakistan had sought assistance from "global capitals" during Operation Sindoor.
"We should recognize the very constructive role the US played during the India-Pakistan conflict. We never requested a ceasefire from anyone. Before the air battle on May 7 and after the ground engagement on May 10, I communicated approximately 60 times with global capitals," he said.
"I'm aware that the vast majority—both Muslim and non-Muslim nations—desire peace, diplomatic solutions, and dialogue," he concluded.