No third-party role: Sources on China's India-Pak truce claim

India maintains mediation unacceptable in bilateral matters

- SIMONTINI BHATTACHARJEE

New Delhi has firmly rejected claims by China that it played a mediating role in securing a ceasefire between India and Pakistan during the military confrontation in May, reiterating that the truce followed direct communication between the two countries' military leaderships and involved no third-party intervention.

The clarification came after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi publicly listed "tensions between Pakistan and India" among several global hotspots that Beijing said it had helped mediate this year. His remarks echoed earlier assertions by US President Donald Trump, both of which India has consistently disputed. Indian government sources said Islamabad itself reached out to New Delhi after Operation Sindoor, stressing that India's long-standing position leaves no scope for outside mediation in matters involving Pakistan.

"India's position on mediation has always been clear. There was no mediation that took place after Operation Sindoor," sources said, adding that Pakistan requested India's Director General of Military Operations for a ceasefire. According to New Delhi, the understanding to halt hostilities was achieved through direct talks between the DGMOs of the two armies.