US prevented India-Pakistan nuke war, says Trump

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): US intervention prevented a “bad nuclear war” between Pakistan and India, claims President Donald Trump.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump spoke of US mediation bet­ween the two nuclear powers and indicated his administration’s strategy linking peace to economic engagement.

Dawn quoted the US leader as saying: “We stopped a nuclear conflict. I think it could have been a bad nuclear war. Millions of people could have been killed.”

The United States was ready to ramp up trade with both countries if they continued to engage in dialogue on sorting out their problems, he said.

“We’re going to do a lot of trade with Pakistan. We’re going to do a lot of trade with India. We’re negotiating with India right now. We’re going to be soon negotiating with Pakistan,” he commented.

Regarding US intervention, Trump said: “On Saturday, my administration helped broker an immediate ceasefire, I think a maybe permanent one between India and Pakistan - the countries having a lot of nuclear weapons.”

He thanked his Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, for for helping facilitate the peace process between the South Asian adversaries.

Also on Monday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged a robust response to any future terrorist attack.  India would not succumb to what he called ‘nuclear blackmail’.

In a televised address to the nation, Modi alleged Pakistan had chosen to attack rather than help India combat terrorism.

He added: “India’s stand is very clear. Terror and talks cannot go together… Terror and trade cannot go together… Water and blood cannot flow together.”

For its part, Pakistan has repeatedly denied having any role in the attack on tourists in India-held Kashmir, and has asked New Delhi for sharing any evidence.

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