‘I will work with you both to see if … a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir,’ Trump said.
India and Pakistan were still upholding a cease-fire on May 11, following accusations that each side was to blame for the initial military violations.
That truce took place on May 10 after four days of continued attacks between the two neighboring nuclear military powers. In what has been the worst fighting between India and Pakistan in nearly three decades, both fired missiles and drones at one another’s military targets, leading to almost 70 deaths.
The Trump administration has also been engaged in direct talks with the two nations to negotiate an end to the fighting.
While U.S. diplomacy and pressure have helped secure the cease-fire deal, just hours after it materialized, artillery fire was seen in Indian Kashmir, which saw much of last week’s fighting.
According to local authorities, blasts from air-defense systems were heard in cities near the border under a blackout, which were similar to those described during the previous two days.
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Pakistan responded by saying it was committed to the truce and blamed India for breaking it.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed his nation late Saturday evening, declaring “victory” and casting India as the aggressor.
“India, because they are so proud, they just tried their best to attack our borders through drone attacks, through missiles, and they have also taken innocent lives. They have destroyed mosques,” he said. “They wanted to target all those places that were very precious to us, and we then decided we were going to retaliate in the same way.”
On Sunday, India’s army chief granted army commanders with “full authority” to engage in “counteraction in the kinetic domain” regarding any violations of the understanding between the two nations, according to an army statement.
President Donald Trump on Saturday praised the two countries’ leaders for agreeing to cease fighting and offered to “substantially” increase trade with India and Pakistan.
Kashmir, an area located within the Himalayan region, is claimed in full by both nations, as Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan each rule a portion of it.
Both countries have gone to war twice over control of Kashmir.
India has blamed Pakistan for supporting Kashmiri separatists, who have engaged in an insurgency in India’s portion of the territory. Pakistan had suggested it only offers moral, political, and diplomatic support to the fighters.
In response to Trump’s statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said, “Any just and lasting settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute … must ensure the realisation of the fundamental rights of the Kashmiri people, including their inalienable right to self-determination.”
Despite the ongoing cease-fire, the Indian Air Force said in a midday X post that military operations continue.
There had been some firing witnessed in Pakistani Kashmir’s Bhimber overnight, but there were no casualties, according to Pakistani officials.
T.J. Muscaro and Reuters contributed to this report.
Original News Source Link – Epoch Times
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