At no stage in any conversation with US was there any linkage of trade with Op Sindoor: Jaishankar

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday asserted that at no stage in any conversation with the US was there any linkage of trade with Operation Sindoor and the request for halting the military action came from the Pakistani side through the DGMO channel.

Jaishankar also said the result of India's diplomacy post-Pahalgam attack was that only three out of 190 nations which are part of the UN opposed Operation Sindoor. There was an overwhelming support that the country which has been attacked has the right to defend itself, he said.

Intervening in the special discussion in the Lok Sabha on 'India's strong, successful and decisive Operation Sindoor in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam', Jaishankar said it was important to send a clear, strong and resolute message after the Pahalgam attack as "our red lines had been crossed and we had to make it very apparent that there would be serious consequences".

Hailing the government's diplomatic efforts post-Pahalgam attack, the EAM said, "What we tried to create was a narrative and prepare the diplomacy for launch of Operation Sindoor. The result of that diplomacy was that out of the 190 nations of UN only three, besides Pakistan, opposed Operation Sindoor.

"Overwhelmingly, there was recognition that terror was unacceptable and the country which has been attacked has the right to defend itself and India was doing exactly that," Jaishankar said.

"When Operation Sindoor was launched, we put out our objectives that it was hitting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Our actions were focussed, measured and non-escalatory and we were living up to the commitment that those responsible for those attacks will be held responsible," he said.

Jaishankar pointed out that The Resistance Front (TRF) group had been designated as a global terror organisaion by the US due to Indian diplomacy.

"On May 10, we received phone calls sharing the impression of other countries that Pakistan was ready to cease the fighting. Our position was that if Pakistan was ready, we needed to get this as a request from the Pakistani side through the DGMO channel. That is exactly how that request came," Jaishankar said.

"I want to make two things very clear -- at no stage in any conversation with the US was there any linkage with trade and what was going on. Secondly, there was no call between the prime minister and President Trump from April 22 -- when President Trump called up to convey his sympathy -- till June 17, when he called up, the PM, who was in Canada, explained why he could not meet him," he said.

Talking about the post-Pahalgam actions of the government, Jaishankar said that the Cabinet Committee on Security had decided that the Indus Waters Treaty would be held in abeyance until Pakistan abjures its support for terrorism, along with a host of other steps.

"It was very clear that after the steps, India's response to the Pahalgam attack will not stop there. Our responsibility from a foreign policy approach was to shape the global understanding of the Pahalgam attack," he said.

Jaishankar said that Indian diplomacy then tried to bring out Pakistan's long-standing support to terrorism and how the Pahalgam attack was targeted at Jammu and Kashmir's economy and sow communal discord.

"Messages were two -- zero tolerance for terrorism and right to defend our people against terrorists. All diplomatic briefing were aimed at these two objectives," he said.

Jaishankar's remarks came after Congress' Deputy Leader in the House Gaurav Gogoi slammed the government over US President Donald Trump's claim made "26 times", that he used trade to bring about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

The Congress has been repeatedly attacking the government over Trump's remarks.

Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire after a long night of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim on several occasions that he helped settle the tensions between India and Pakistan.

However, India has been consistently maintaining that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries.

In a nearly 35-minute phone call with Trump last month, Modi firmly stated that India does not and will "never accept" mediation and that the discussions between Indian and Pakistani militaries on cessation of military actions were initiated at Islamabad's request.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.

India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.