'Most welcome': Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif backs Trump's mediation in Taliban conflict; drags India into row

Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday called on US President Donald Trump to help ease tensions with its Taliban-controlled northern neighbor, lauding his past peace efforts and openly welcoming his mediation in the current negotiations.

When asked about Trump’s possible role in peace negotiations between Pakistan and the Taliban, defence minister Khawaja Asif praised the US leader, saying Trump had made efforts to bring peace between countries and had negotiated peace in “seven wars.”
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“I think presidents in America have been responsible for wars. This is the first president (Trump) who has stopped wars. In the last 15–20 years, the US has sponsored wars, and he (Trump) is the first president to negotiate peace. If he wants to look into the Pakistan-Afghanistan war, he is most welcome,” Asif said on GeoTV.

During the interview on GeoTV, Asif also made a bizarre claim against India, accusing New Delhi of sponsoring the Taliban and waging a proxy war against Pakistan.

Islamabad’s leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Asim Munir, has repeatedly nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, calling him a leader who ended wars.

Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif had openly welcomed Trump’s mediation during India’s counterterror action under Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

However, India has maintained a firm stance that no foreign mediation influenced its military decisions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Parliament that no foreign leader was involved in India’s decision to pause Operation Sindoor.