New Delhi, May 13: India today reaffirmed that the only outstanding matter with Pakistan is the vacating of its illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
“We have a longstanding national position that any issues about the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally. That stated policy has not changed. As you are aware, the outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a briefing.
Jaiswal was referring to US President Donald Trump, who claimed that America had mediated talks between India and Pakistan for a ceasefire, even as India had insisted that Pakistan’s DGMO had called up his Indian counterpart on May 10 and urged a ceasefire.
“The specific date, time, and wording of the understanding were worked out between the DGMOs of the two countries at their phone call on May 10, 2025. The request for this call was received by the MEA from the Pakistani High Commission at 1237 hrs. The Pakistani side had initial difficulties connecting the hotline to the Indian side for technical reasons,” he added.
“You will of course appreciate that early on the 10th morning, we had mounted an extremely effective attack on key Pakistani Air Force bases. That was the reason they were now willing to stop firing and military action. Let me be clear. It was of force of Indian arms that compelled Pakistan to stop its firing.”
Jaiswal, however said from the time Operation Sindoor commenced on 7th May till the understanding on cessation of firing and military action on 10th May, there were conversations between Indian and US leaders on the evolving military situation.
He further said that India had conveyed to other countries that it was responding to the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22 by targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan. It was conveyed to countries that India would respond in kind if Pakistani forces fired.
“The terrorist infrastructure sites that India destroyed were responsible not only for the deaths of Indians but also of many other innocents around the world. There is now a new normal. The sooner Pakistan gets used to it, the better.”