Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday took a veiled swipe at critics of India’s stance during Operation Sindoor, asking whether those who questioned New Delhi’s rejection of third-party mediation would now apologise. His remarks came after Pakistan admitted that India had categorically refused any outside role in bilateral talks during the conflict.
Pakistan’s Admission On Bilateral Stand
Speaking to Al Jazeera in Doha, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar acknowledged that India turned down any third-party involvement during discussions around Operation Sindoor. He said that during a July meeting in Washington, US secretary of state Marco Rubio conveyed that New Delhi had maintained the issue was strictly bilateral. This directly contradicted former US President Donald Trump’s claims that he helped broker peace between the two neighbours.
Operation Sindoor And Bilateral Talks
Operation Sindoor was launched by India on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. The four-day offensive targeted terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Hostilities ended on May 10 after both sides reached an understanding to halt cross-border strikes. India has consistently maintained that terrorism-related issues with Pakistan must be addressed bilaterally, without third-party mediation.
