During his recent address to the United Nations General Assembly, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed a readiness for dialogue with India. He specifically lauded former U.S. President Donald Trump’s involvement, noting New Delhi’s previous reluctance regarding Trump’s mediation efforts.
Sharif’s address came just a day after a White House meeting with Trump, where he was accompanied by Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir. Munir had earlier suggested that Trump merited the Nobel Peace Prize for his successful brokering of a ceasefire during the May conflict between Pakistan and India.
In his speech, Sharif emphasized Pakistan’s commitment to ‘a composite, comprehensive, and result-oriented dialogue with India on all outstanding issues,’ asserting that ‘South Asia requires proactive rather than provocative leadership.’ He further described Trump’s leadership as ‘bold and visionary,’ highlighting that without his timely and decisive intervention, ‘the consequences of a full-fledged war would have been catastrophic.’
The context for these remarks dates back to May, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered strikes on Pakistani military installations following a massacre of predominantly Hindu civilians in Kashmir by Islamist militants. Pakistan vehemently denied any involvement. In his UN address, Sharif framed Pakistan’s response as a victory against aggression, stating, ‘India came shrouded in arrogance but we sent them back in humiliation, delivering a bloody nose.’
Trump ultimately declared a ceasefire after four days of intense fighting, with his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announcing that both nations would engage in talks at a neutral location to address their disputes. However, Modi downplayed Trump’s role in the de-escalation. This period also saw a strain in the previously robust U.S.-India ties, largely due to Trump imposing tariffs on India’s oil imports from Russia.
Trump’s renewed engagement with Pakistan signifies a notable shift from the previous U.S. administration under Joe Biden, who had maintained a distance from Islamabad due to concerns over its relationship with the Taliban during the war in Afghanistan. Interestingly, a company associated with the Trump family had also finalized a cryptocurrency agreement with Pakistan just prior to the May conflict.
Pakistan has historically advocated for international involvement in the Kashmir dispute, a stance consistently rejected by India.