“You Can’t Talk to a Neighbour Who Unleashes Rottweilers”: Tharoor Slams Pakistan’s Call for Trump-Led Mediation

New Delhi: In a move that Indian diplomatic sources view more as spectacle than substance, Pakistan has once again appealed to US President Donald Trump to mediate talks with India—an approach New Delhi has repeatedly rejected.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking at a US Embassy event in Islamabad, lauded Trump’s past “efforts” in reducing tensions between the two countries and urged Washington to take a more proactive role in reviving peace talks. “The match happened last evening (Tuesday), and today (Wednesday) this event was organised by the cricket association, so no one had expected so many people to come,” Sharif reportedly said. His call echoed former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s remarks: “On ten separate occasions, President Trump has taken credit for facilitating the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and rightly so… If the US is willing to help maintain this ceasefire, it is only reasonable to expect that its involvement in facilitating comprehensive talks would be equally useful.”

India, however, remains unwavering. The government has long maintained that dialogue with Pakistan is only possible if Islamabad ends its support for terrorism and returns the occupied parts of Kashmir. Moreover, India has consistently rejected third-party intervention, asserting that all matters must be resolved bilaterally.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, currently leading an all-party delegation in Washington, bluntly rejected the Pakistani outreach. “The US understands well that India will not negotiate under threat. You can’t talk to a neighbour who unleashes Rottweilers on your children and then asks for dialogue. Unless those dogs are chained, caged, or put down, there’s nothing to discuss,” he said, underscoring India’s tough position on Pakistan-sponsored terror.