‘No nuclear signaling’: Foreign secretary Vikram Misri briefs Parl panel on India-Pakistan ceasefire, no role of Trump

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri issued a clarification on Monday amid continued claims that America had helped avert nuclearwar between India and Pakistan. The senior diplomat told a Parliamentary panel that there had been “no nuclear signalling” from Islamabad despite the recent hostilities. Misri also reiterated that the decision to stop military action was taken at a bilateral level, as some opposition members questioned US President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions. The US President has repeatedly claimed that he had ‘helped’ broker a ceasefire and “avert nuclear war” last week.

According to sources quoted by PTI, some opposition members of the committee had sought clarification about the situation in light of repeated US attempts to take center stage in the India-Pakistan conflict. Misri had reportedly quipped that Trump did not ‘seek his consent for doing so’. No other country, the foreign ministry added during its presentation, had “any locus standi” to comment on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir — a clear repudiation of the US’ suggestion for mediation between India and Pakistan.

An opposition member asked why the Indian government has not come out strongly to rebut Trump.The foreign ministry, though, has made it clear in its earlier briefings that India and Pakistan agreed on the cessation of firing bilaterally, a point reiterated by Misri who noted the decision was taken at the DGMO-level talks at the request of the neighbouring country.Replying to queries from members, Misri said the conflict between India and Pakistan was always in the conventional domain, and there was no nuclear signalling by the neighbouring country.

‘We destroyed all drones‘

The Indian Army also showcased the indigenous Akashteer system and upgraded L-70 Air Defence Guns on Monday — both of which played a decisive role in intercepting every missile and drone during the deadly Pakistani aerial assault

“This gun system is very effective… We showed that we also have a system capable of destroying any target. It can track targets from a long distance and lock onto them. As soon as they enter the effective range, firing action is taken.” The soldier added that the L-70 system achieved a 100 per cent success rate in destroying enemy drones during the conflict. “We destroyed all the drones. Its success rate is 100 per cent,” an L-70 Air Defence Gun operator told ANI.

(With inputs from agencies)