Pakistan appears to be aligning with the United States’ stance, acknowledging Washington’s assistance in securing a ceasefire with India during Operation Sindoor. A recent statement from the Pakistani government, detailing a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir with former U.S. President Donald Trump at the Oval Office, suggests this. During the meeting, Sharif’s remarks praised Trump, hinting at the former U.S. President’s key role in initiating the ceasefire.
Trump has repeatedly claimed to have brokered peace or a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. However, New Delhi has consistently denied these claims. India has maintained that no third party was involved in the ceasefire agreement with Pakistan following Operation Sindoor, which was India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack in April, where 26 people were killed.
Furthermore, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar stated during a parliamentary debate on Operation Sindoor that there were no calls between Prime Minister Modi and Trump between April 22 and June 17 (the date the ceasefire was announced), clarifying that there was no third-party intervention in reaching the ceasefire understanding.
The readout of Sharif’s meeting with Trump states: “Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir met with U.S. President Donald J. Trump at the Oval Office today. The Prime Minister lauded President Trump’s “bold, courageous and decisive leadership” for facilitating the Pakistan-India ceasefire and praised his initiative to invite key Muslim world leaders in efforts to bring an immediate end to the conflict in Gaza and restore peace in the Middle East.”
This readout clearly indicates that the Pakistani PM praised Trump’s leadership while also admitting his role in facilitating the India-Pakistan ceasefire. The statement added, “The leaders discussed enhancing the bilateral partnership, with the Prime Minister inviting U.S. investment in Pakistan’s key sectors and stressing the need to further enhance security and intelligence cooperation.”
Notably, Sharif also extended an invitation to Trump to visit Pakistan at his convenience.
