TO the dismay of India, President Donald Trump has once again taken credit for brokering a ceasefire between Islamabad and New Delhi in the recent war.
As Indian officials including Prime Minister Narendra Modi are working overtime to deny the role of any third country in this regard, the US President, speaking at a White House press briefing, said he effectively used the leverage of trade with both countries to stop what he called was ultimately turning into a nuclear conflict. Trump said he told the two countries the US could impose a hundred percent tariff on trade with them and the use of tariff and trade pressure worked.
The US role in stopping the war cannot be denied as Pakistan, from the very beginning, acknowledged the efforts made by President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and some other friendly countries. It was, in fact, because of the crucial contribution to regional peace that Pakistan nominated President Trump for the coveted Nobel Prize. It is also a reality that India did not attach any importance to the concerted calls by various members of the international community to exercise restraint after New Delhi started accusing Pakistan of sponsoring the Pahalgam incident which Islamabad had evidence to consider as a false flag operation to malign Pakistan and create justification for an aggression. India ignored appeals by the world leaders for a transparent probe and resolution of the issue through discussion and dialogue only because it was sure of its upper hand in case of a conflict. However, the shocking response it received from Pakistan forced India to rush to the influential capitals including Washington seeking their help in brokering a ceasefire. India has also been reluctant in acknowledging the losses it sustained at the hands of the Pakistan defence forces but neutral sources around the globe are corroborating the claims made in this regard by Islamabad. In the latest press briefing, President Trump revealed that seven jets were downed during the conflict and going by the fact that there was no such damage in Pakistan, the tally surely relates to India. It is also regrettable that India is showing abstinence with regard to the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) as evident from its decision to convey flood alerts through diplomatic channels rather than the Indus Water Commission, a designated forum under the 1960 accord. The decision makers in New Delhi ought to realize that such tactics and attempts to bypass international law and accords amount to self-injury. Pakistan has taken exception to the Indian attitude in this regard with Foreign Office spokesperson pointing out flood information should have been routed through treaty obligations instead of diplomatic channels. It was for the first time India shared flood data with Pakistan since it unilaterally suspended the IWT following the Pahalgam attack in April. As has also been highlighted by the decision of the international arbitration court, India is obligated to fully comply with all provisions of the Treaty. India’s unilateral declaration to hold the IWT in abeyance constituted a serious violation of international law and could have significant negative consequences for peace and stability in South Asia. India seemed to have deliberately omitted reference to the Treaty in order to set a new normal with Pakistan but this new normal will have the same fate as in the case of the policy of hot pursuit, which backfired and pushed India into a tight diplomatic corner. India’s continued belligerence is sending an unambiguous but shocking message to the international community that it bears the responsibility for posing serious threats to the peace and security of the region. Pakistan has repeatedly expressed its readiness for a sincere dialogue to resolve all issues and disputes and the ball is now in the Indian court to demonstrate its sincerity for peace and stability.
