ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON, June 6: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to facilitate dialogue between Pakistan and India, drawing a sharp rebuke from an Indian delegation currently touring the United States as part of diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor.
Speaking at an event at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Sharif praised Trump for what he claimed was a key role in helping de-escalate tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. “He deserves that credit because it was his efforts that helped make the ceasefire possible,” Sharif said, reiterating similar remarks made earlier by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.
Bhutto had previously asserted that Trump intervened on “10 different occasions” to help defuse hostilities, and called for the United States to take a more active role in arranging a comprehensive dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad.
India has publicly denied any third-party involvement in the ceasefire and has repeatedly rejected external mediation, including on the longstanding Kashmir issue. A high-level Indian delegation visiting the U.S. as part of New Delhi’s post-Operation Sindoor diplomacy pushed back strongly against Sharif’s remarks.
“There can be no talks with a gun pointed at our head,” Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading the all-party delegation, told reporters in Washington. “If your neighbor unleashes his Rottweilers on your children and then says, ‘let’s talk,’ you’re not going to have that conversation until those dogs are locked up or put down.”
Tharoor also criticized Pakistan’s claim of being a victim of terrorism, referencing a decade-old warning from former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “You can’t breed vipers in your backyard and expect them to bite only your neighbors,” he said. “Let Pakistan look inward before pleading innocence.”
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, also part of the delegation, echoed Tharoor’s criticism, saying Pakistan’s rhetoric on peace was disingenuous. “It’s like the Devil quoting scripture,” Surya said, referencing statements by Bhutto who described his team as a “peace delegation.”
“For a country that promotes failed generals to field marshals and relies on cheap Chinese military imports that fail on the battlefield, it’s hard to grasp the concept of effective democratic leadership and high-quality defense capabilities,” Surya added.
India launched Operation Sindoor following escalated cross-border tensions, with Islamabad accused of providing safe haven and logistical support to militants involved in attacks on Indian security forces.
New Delhi has dispatched seven parliamentary delegations to key global capitals, including Washington, to explain its position on Pakistan’s role in regional instability and push back against claims made by Islamabad.
While Trump has not publicly responded to Sharif’s latest remarks, Indian officials believe Washington understands New Delhi’s long-standing policy of bilateral resolution without third-party interference.
