Parliament monsoon session: No third party intervention in ceasefire with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, says Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Rajya Sabha. Pic/PTI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday made it clear that there was no third-party intervention in bringing about a ceasefire with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, asserting that the halting of the Operation was not linked to trade, reported news agency PTI.

Intervening in the special discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Rajya Sabha, Jaishankar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump did not have any phone calls between April 22 and June 16, reported PTI.

The Opposition has been attacking the government on claims made by Trump on mediation in halting of hostilities between India and Pakistan by using the threat of trade.

He said India will not tolerate any cross-border terrorism and has responded to Pakistan by carrying out Operation Sindoor and will continue to do so whenever the neighbouring country attacks again.

Noting that the Pahalgam terror attack was absolutely unacceptable, he said a redline was crossed by Pakistan and there had to be accountability and justice.

"Blood and water will not flow together," he said, justifying India's suspension of the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, reported PTI.

Jaishankar said the Modi government has corrected the wrongs of Nehru's policies by suspending the Treaty. The Treaty signed by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was not to buy peace, but for appeasement.

The External Affairs Minister said terrorism is now on the global agenda only because of the efforts of the Modi government.

He said India exerted huge pressure on Pakistan through the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) process and also despite not being a member of the UN Security Council, India was able to get UN recognition that The Resistance Front (TRF) is proxy of Pakistan-based LeT.

The TRF had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack.

Speaking during the Operation Sindoor debate in the Rajya Sabha, Jaishankar cited India's assertive response to terror incidents through the Uri surgical strikes, Balakot airstrikes, and now Operation Sindoor as evidence of this change.

Referring to major terror incidents under the UPA government, the EAM recalled, "In the decade before the Modi government came to power -- in 2006, the Mumbai train bombings killed 186 people; in 2007, 44 died in Hyderabad; in 2008, 26/11 happened in Mumbai; 64 were killed in Jaipur; 57 in Ahmedabad; and Delhi was also bombed in 2008. I am reminding the House how the world watched India's response at that time."

He criticised the then government's response to the 2006 Mumbai attacks, saying that India limited itself to dialogue and condemnation instead of holding Pakistan accountable.

"Even after 26/11, India said that terrorism is a threat to both India and Pakistan. That was the approach then," he said.

(With inputs from PTI)