Pakistanis stepping up efforts to seek help from US President Donald Trump in its bid to achieve peace with India. Facing growing global isolation over terrorism concerns, Pakistani leaders are urging Washington to play a larger role in dialogue between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

At an event held at the US Embassy in Islamabad on Wednesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised Trump’s efforts in calming tensions with India. He appealed to the US to facilitate comprehensive talks, saying the ceasefire Trump helped bring about should be maintained and expanded through dialogue, according to an ANI report.

“On 10 different occasions, he has taken credit for facilitating the ceasefire between India and Pakistan — and rightly so,” said former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. “He deserves that credit because it was his efforts that helped make the ceasefire possible. So, if the US is willing to help Pakistan in maintaining this ceasefire, it is reasonable to expect that an American role in arranging a comprehensive dialogue would also be beneficial for us.”

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India has strongly rejected any third-party mediation and denied that Trump had any involvement in the ceasefire. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading the Indian delegation in the US, made India’s position clear: “I think the US has understood for some time now that India has a very clear position that there will be no talks with a gun pointed at our head... You’re not going to talk to people who are pointing guns at your temples. It’s not going to happen.”

The Indian side also condemned Pakistan’s attempts to portray itself as equally victimised by terrorism. Tharoor said, “This (Pakistan) delegation is going around saying we are also victims of terrorism, we have lost more lives to terrorism than India has... You can’t breed vipers in your backyard and expect them to bite only your neighbours.” He called on Pakistan to reflect seriously on its role before pleading innocence.

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BJP MP Tejasvi Surya added, “Bhutto has been calling his delegation a peace delegation, and it is quite ironic... It’s like the Devil quoting from the scriptures.” He highlighted Pakistan’s dependence on Chinese military imports and questioned the credibility of its peace efforts.

US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast backed India’s stance during a press briefing in Washington, DC. “When you are attacked, you have no choice but to respond. The world does not allow anything else,” Mast said. He described the US-India partnership as strong and growing, signalling continued support.

The sharply opposing views reflect the deep mistrust between the two countries. While Pakistan pushes for international support to broker peace, India remains firm on its anti-terror position and refuses external mediation in its bilateral conflict with Pakistan.

(With inputs from ANI)