With India Denying US Role, UK Now Claims Part in Ceasefire Effort with Pakistan

After the United States claimed to broker the "ceasefire" between India and Pakistan, now United Kingdom also entered the picture. It said that it is working with the US to ensure an enduring ceasefire and dialogue.

"Britain is working with the US to ensure a ceasefire between India and Pakistan endures and that "confidence-building measures" and dialogue take place," Britain's foreign minister David Lammy told Reuters on Saturday at the end of his two-day visit to Islamabad.

"We will continue to work with the United States to ensure that we get an enduring ceasefire, to ensure that dialogue is happening and to work with Pakistan and India on how we can get to confidence and confidence-building measures between the two sides," he added.

Lammy further commented on India's decision to put the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance and urged "all sides to meet their treaty obligations."

Notably, India suspended the treaty in response to the terror attack on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists from the Hindu community. India identified two out of three terrorists as Pakistani.

Lammy said Britain would also continue to work with Pakistan on countering "terrorism", saying that it is "a terrible blight on this country and its people, and of course on the region."

"Because of the deep links between our countries, the UK is determined to play our part with India, Pakistan and international partners to help counter terrorism and ensure this peace lasts," the minister posted on X.

India has yet to comment on the UK's claim to mediate a ceasefire with its neighbouring country. However, New Delhi earlier denied Washington's involvement in its "understanding" with Islamabad.

On the other hand, Pakistan said that Britain and other countries, in addition to the US, played a major role in de-escalating the worst fighting in decades between the nuclear-armed neighbours, which began on May 7. A rapid diplomatic effort to broker the ceasefire succeeded on May 10, but diplomats and analysts say it remains fragile, according to the report.

Trump claimed that the US brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, suggesting that increased trade opportunities were offered as an incentive for both nations to halt hostilities. Which India denied. On the other hand, the UK signed a historic free trade agreement with India earlier this month.