Since 1971, India never accepted any outside mediation: Ex-Army chief V.P. Malik debunks Trump's ceasefire claims

IN an exclusive interview with IANS, former Army Chief Gen V.P. Malik, who led India to victory in the 1999 Kargil War, debunks US President Donald Trump's claims of stopping a war between India and Pakistan. Drawing from his strategic experience, Gen Malik offers sharp insights into US-Pakistan dynamics, rising tensions in West Asia, and how India must safeguard its national interest while navigating shifting global alliances.

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IANS: US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that he "stopped a war" between India and Pakistan. From your experience and strategic assessment, how credible are these claims? Was there ever a situation where external mediation played a significant role?

Gen Malik: The US is a global power. It has national interests all across the globe. It monitors every developing conflict situation closely. Ever since India and Pakistan became nuclear weapons states in May 1998, it has monitored the conflict situation in South Asia even more closely. A war between India and Pakistan is not in the US' national interests. The US makes an intense effort to prevent it.

During the Kargil war, Op Parakram and the Mumbai 26/11 attack, the US maintained close diplomatic communications with both countries to stop or prevent a war. During the Kargil war, when Pakistan's Prime Minister went to Washington, then President Clinton put pressure on him to withdraw Pakistani troops from our side of the LoC. Pakistan agreed to do so, like it has done now on 10th May during Operation Sindoor.

However, India pursued its own political objective on both occasions. It accepted Pakistan's direct request for a ceasefire when its political objective was achieved. During any conflict, there is always effort by the international community, particularly big powers like the US, to influence the conflict situation. However, ever since 1971, India has never accepted any outside mediation. I do not accept President Trump's megalomaniac false claim that he stopped the war and that soon he would resolve the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan. This issue has been clarified by Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri. I believe his statement to be the truth.