Trump faces criticism over Kashmir post – as India-Pakistan ceasefire holds

Donald Trump said he will be working with India and Pakistan to see if a solution can be reached over Kashmir.

Writing on Truth Social after previously taking credit for the ceasefire, the US president said: “I will work with you both (India and Pakistan) to see if, after a ‘thousand years’, a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir.”

President Trump’s comments were met with criticism.

Read more: Intervention in Kashmir is a poisoned fruit

Indian MP Manish Tewari pointed out in a post on X that the situation in Kashmir “is not a biblical 1,000-year-old conflict” but instead began in 1947.

“How difficult is it to grasp this simple fact?” he wrote.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office also reaffirmed that any lasting settlement of disputes over Jammu and Kashmir must include the right of Kashmiri people to self-determination.

‘People haven’t slept for days’ in Kashmir

Kashmiri author Mirza Waheed told Sky News the fighting in recent days was “the most intense and the most dangerous escalation” before warning “it’s not going away”.

“Until yesterday, I was terrified, and so was everybody in Kashmir,” he said.

“I spoke to friends in Kashmir that said people hadn’t slept for days. On the borders, it’s been a bloodbath.

“People have fled their homes, homes have been destroyed, shelling everywhere, homes on fire, makeshift bunkers. It’s been quite brutal.”

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Mr Waheed added that he spoke to a friend recently who described families as “shivering in fear”.

“Kashmiris have had enough, they are tired of enormous suffering, they paid the heaviest price,” he said.

Ceasefire holds despite violation claims

Sky’s Asia correspondent Cordelia Lynch said there was a “huge sigh of relief” that the ceasefire remained in place on Sunday after both sides had accused each other of violating the agreement.

“I think what is telling is how it’s being communicated to the domestic audiences in India and Pakistan,” she said, speaking from Lahore in Pakistan.

“Here, there is a sort of air of triumphalism. You get the sense that Pakistan feels like it’s the stronger party coming out of this moment.”

She also explained that the praise for America’s role in de-escalation is only being heard from one side.

“Pakistan has certainly expressed its gratitude to Donald Trump, they claim America played a pivotal role,” she said.

“That is not echoed in New Delhi… they’ve been pretty quiet on America’s involvement.”

The ceasefire deal follows days of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the two countries traded drone and missile strikes and reported civilian casualties.

India launched strikes on Pakistan and Pakistan-administered territory on Wednesday, in what it said was a response to the militant gun attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir last month, which killed 26 people.

On the day before the ceasefire, Pakistan fired high-speed missiles at “multiple targets” across India after accusing Delhi of targeting three airbases inside Pakistan.