Washington DC [US], February 20 (ANI): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday appreciated Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for supporting US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza and for joining the Board of Peace.
Rubio held a meeting with Sharif and reaffirmed the strategic relationship between the United States and Pakistan, particularly in the areas of critical minerals development and counterterrorism.
“Met today with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Appreciate Pakistan’s ongoing support of POTUS’s Peace Plan for Gaza and for joining the Board of Peace. In our meeting, we discussed the importance of our strategic relationship on critical minerals development and counterterrorism,” Rubio said.
During the inaugural Board of Peace meeting, Shehbaz Sharif praised Trump for his “mediation” in the Pakistan–India conflict, calling him a “man of peace” and a “saviour of the people of South Asia.”
“Your timely and very effective intervention to achieve a ceasefire between India and Pakistan potentially averted the loss of millions of people’s lives. You have truly proved to be a man of peace, and let me say you are truly the saviour of the people of South Asia,” Sharif said.
Trump reiterated his claim of saving millions of lives during the India–Pakistan conflict in 2024, stating that he threatened to impose a “200 per cent tariff” on both countries, after which the conflict halted as there is “nothing like money.”
Speaking at the Board of Peace, Trump also increased the number of jets allegedly shot down during the conflict, claiming the figure had risen to 11 from his earlier assertion of eight.
Trump again stated that he called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve the conflict, despite India’s repeated rejection of any third-party mediation.
“He (the Pakistani Prime Minister) said in front of our Chief of Staff that President Trump saved 25 million lives when he stopped the war between us and India. That war was raging. Planes were being shot down. And I got on the phone with both of them. I knew Prime Minister Modi very well,” Trump said.
“I told them that I would not do trade deals if the conflict continued. I said I would impose 200 per cent tariffs on both countries. When it came to losing a lot of money, they decided they didn’t want to fight anymore. Eleven jets were shot down—very expensive jets,” Trump added.
Trump was referring to the conflict following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2024, in which 26 people were killed. In response, India launched precise strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor.
India has consistently refuted Trump’s claims, maintaining that the ceasefire was achieved bilaterally through talks between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs), without any third-party involvement.
India has also reiterated its long-standing position that all issues with Pakistan, including those related to Jammu and Kashmir, must be resolved bilaterally. (ANI)
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