Trump reveals 'reason' for hosting Asim Munir, says 'India & Pakistan decided to end war'

US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday praised Pakistan chief of army staff general Asim Munir for his role in averting a potential war with India. His remarks came in an address to media after hosting Munir for lunch at the White House.

“Reason I had him here was I wanted to thank him for not going into the war and ending it…,” Trump said on his meeting with Munir.

He further stated that he was “honoured” to meet Munir and that they had discussed Iran, which he said Pakistan knew better than most. “Two very smart people decided not to keep going with the war. Those are two big nuclear powers,” he said with reference to the India-Pakistan ceasefire announcement last month.

Since the ceasefire announcement on May 10, Trump has claimed on several occasions that US mediated the talks between the two nuclear-armed South Asian countries and that he helped settled the tensions.

India, on the other hand, has denied US involvement saying that the ceasefire announcement came after a talk between the director generals of military operations (DGMOs) the two nations. New Delhi had reiterated that there was no third party involvement while Pakistan has thanked Washington for playing a mediating role.

The heaviest fighting in decades between India and Pakistan was sparked by the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. New Delhi blamed "terrorists" backed by Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denies.

India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the terror attack targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The two countries eached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

According to White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly, Trump hosted Munir after he called for the president to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for preventing a nuclear war between India and Pakistan.