Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Concedes That India Has Not Sought Third-Party Mediation

 

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has acknowledged that Bharat firmly rejects any third-party involvement in bilateral disputes, despite Islamabad’s willingness to accept external mediation.

 

Speaking to Al Jazeera in Doha during an Arab-Islamic emergency summit, Dar referred to his July meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who reiterated Bharat’s consistent stance that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are strictly “bilateral matters.”

 

Dar’s statement directly contradicts both Pakistan’s earlier claims and U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that it was Trump who mediated a so-called “ceasefire” between Bharat and Pakistan after New Delhi launched Operation Sindoor against Islamabad in May.

 

According to Dar, Washington did put forward a ceasefire proposal during the conflict. “When the ceasefire offer came to me through Secretary Rubio on May 11 at 8.17 am, I was told that ‘very soon, there will be dialogue between you and India at an independent place’,” Dar revealed.

 

He further added that during his bilateral meeting with Rubio in Washington on 25 July, the U.S. Secretary of State confirmed Bharat’s refusal to accept third-party involvement. “He said, ‘India says it is bilateral’,” Dar recalled, stressing that the American effort did not succeed.

 

 

During Operation Sindoor, U.S. President Donald Trump sparked unnecessary controversy by claiming that Bharat had sought his mediation in the Bharat-Pakistan dispute. His statement was swiftly rejected by Indian officials, who emphasised once again that all matters between Bharat and Pakistan are bilateral and leave no space for third-party intervention.

 

Trump’s claim not only contradicted Bharat’s long-standing diplomatic position but also risked sending misleading signals to the international community during a period of heightened regional tensions. The episode underscored the importance of careful and responsible communication from world leaders when addressing sensitive security issues.