New Delhi:
Pakistan should see uncertainty as the new normal and there will be no discussion with the country on Kashmir, sources said on Sunday. Responding to US President Donald Trump’s post offering to “work with” India and Pakistan towards a solution on Kashmir, the sources said there is no change in New Delhi’s stance that Kashmir is and will always be a bilateral issue between the countries.
Four days of hostilities, during which India carried out precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure and airbases in Pakistan and Islamabad attacked civilian and military sites with drones and missiles, culminated in a ceasefire on Saturday.
In a surprising move, the ceasefire was announced by Mr Trump on Saturday evening and then confirmed by India and Pakistan. New Delhi said the Pakistan Director General of Military Operations had called up his Indian counterpart and a ceasefire was agreed upon, which came into effect at 5pm on Saturday.
On Sunday, Mr Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social again and said that he would work with both countries to see if “a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir”.
“I am very proud of the strong and unwaveringly powerful leadership of India and Pakistan for having the strength, wisdom, and fortitude to fully know and understand that it was time to stop the current aggression that could have lead to to the death and destruction of so many, and so much. Millions of good and innocent people could have died! Your legacy is greatly enhanced by your brave actions. I am proud that the USA was able to help you arrive at this historic and heroic decision,” the US president wrote.
“While not even discussed, I am going to increase trade, substantially, with both of these great Nations. Additionally, I will work with you both to see if, after a ‘thousand years,’ a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir. God Bless the leadership of India and Pakistan on a job well done!!!” he added.
The sources, however, said that there will be no discussion with Pakistan regarding Kashmir and that India’s stance has not changed. Kashmir, they emphasised, is and will always remain a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan.
‘Uncertainty New Normal’
India has stressed that the initial escalation came from the Pakistan side with the April 22 attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed. The sources said that it was apparent after the attack that the nation has had enough and India’s response should make it clear that uncertainty is the new normal for Pakistan.
“The attack on Bahawalpur (the headquarters of the Masood Azhar-led terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed is comeuppance for the ISI. No matter where you are, we will hit you,” the sources warned, adding that India had gone for the “head of the snake” and not for soldiers.