Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has emphatically stated that it was India's successful military strikes, not former US President Donald Trump, that were the decisive factors leading to the ceasefire and peace overtures from Pakistan in May 2025.

Speaking at the launch of his book Whither India-Pakistan Relations Today? Can They Ever Be Good Neighbours?, Tharoor reinforced India's position that it was Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), not Trump, who reached out to India to initiate peace talks following escalating hostilities.

Tharoor highlighted that India’s military response was triggered after the ghastly April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives. Following this, India launched Operation Sindoor in early May 2025 targeting terror infrastructure across the border.

The success of India’s airstrikes on the night of May 9-10, 2025, and the country's ability to intercept Pakistan’s retaliatory missile strikes aimed at Delhi on the morning of May 10, sent a strong, unmistakable message that India would not remain passive against terrorism.

It was these tactical military actions, Tharoor asserted, that directly influenced the Pakistani DGMO to call his Indian counterpart seeking peace, leading to the ceasefire declared on May 10, 2025.

This, he argued, disproves US President Trump’s repeated claims of having brokered peace between India and Pakistan. Tharoor described these claims as "consistently refuted by New Delhi" and emphasised that the ceasefire was the result of bilateral military communications following India’s assertive response.

Going beyond the military aspect, Tharoor framed India’s peace aspirations within a broader national vision. He pointed out that India is poised for immense growth and development with the goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.

For this vision to be realised, peaceful and stable borders are indispensable. He warned that Pakistan’s continuous provocations through cross-border terrorism undermine India’s ability to sustain stable neighbourhood relations critical to its rise and influence as a voice of the Global South.

Tharoor also recalled how, shortly after the Pahalgam attack, he had advocated through an op-ed for a strong military response, which India eventually followed through.

Reflecting on India's historical attempts at peace with Pakistan, he stressed that India no longer has the appetite to take the first step in normalising ties given repeated betrayals over decades. The responsibility now clearly rests on Pakistan to dismantle terror networks on its soil for relations to improve.

In conclusion, Tharoor’s remarks paint India as resolute in defending itself against terrorism, crediting its own military capacity for the ceasefire and peace overtures, while urging Pakistan to show sincerity if peaceful coexistence is to be achieved in the future.

His message was clear: peace is rooted in strength, not external mediation, and India’s future ambitions require tranquillity at its borders to flourish.

This detailed account encapsulates Tharoor’s perspective on India-Pakistan relations as expressed during the recent book launch and in the wake of Operation Sindoor and ensuing ceasefire events in 2025.

Based On ANI Report