DOHA: United States President Donald Trump said that hostilities between Pakistan and India were settled, after he urged the two countries to focus on trade instead of war, Reuters reports.
The US President told US troops at a base in Qatar during a Gulf tour that “Pakistan was very happy with that [ceasefire] and India was very happy with that, and I think they’re on the way.”
“We got that settled, where everybody was very happy. I’ll tell you that it looked like it was really going to be escalating out of control,” Trump said.
The nuclear-armed neighbours halted their worst fighting in nearly three decades after agreeing to a ceasefire on Saturday, following diplomacy and pressure from the United States.
Earlier today, the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of Pakistan and India established contact through a hotline on Wednesday afternoon, their third such communication since the two sides agreed to uphold a ceasefire facilitated by the United States and other friendly countries.
According to well-placed sources, the two military officials discussed the ground situation and agreed to maintain the status quo, with the ceasefire holding “for the time being,” in line with their previous discussion on Monday.
No official statement has been issued by either side regarding the conversation or its specific outcomes.
