Jaiswal also reaffirmed India’s long-standing position: any matters concerning Jammu and Kashmir are strictly bilateral and not subject to third-party mediation or leverage—particularly not through trade incentives. He emphasized that the core issue remains the vacation of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

President Trump’s repeated descriptions of U.S. mediation efforts between India and Pakistan have hit sore spots in Indian politics.

Ramdas Athawale's comments come a day after Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that the ceasefire came about after Pakistan's director-general of military operations contacted India's DGMO.