Sharif hails Trump’s “bold and visionary” role in defusing India-Pakistan conflict

Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s role in averting a war with India, describing his intervention as “bold and visionary” in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

“Had President Trump not intervened in a timely and decisive way, the consequences of a full-fledged war would have been catastrophic,” Sharif told world leaders, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

He said Pakistan remained ready for a “composite, comprehensive and result-oriented dialogue with India on all outstanding issues,” stressing that South Asia requires “proactive rather than provocative leadership.”

Sharif’s remarks came a day after he met Trump at the White House alongside Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who told Trump he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering a ceasefire in Pakistan’s May conflict with India.

That crisis erupted after a terrorist attack in Kashmir killed 26 Hindu tourists, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants — an accusation Islamabad rejected. India launched “Operation Sindoor,” striking targets inside Pakistan with missiles. Islamabad retaliated with drones and airstrikes, sparking days of clashes between the two countries’ air forces.

Trump announced a ceasefire after four days of fighting, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying both sides had agreed to hold talks at a neutral venue. 

While Islamabad credited Washington with defusing the escalation, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi played down Trump’s role. Relations between Washington and New Delhi have since frayed further, strained by Trump’s tariffs on India over its purchases of Russian oil.

By Sabina Mammadli