Shehbaz's ‘war’ claim, Trump's 'beautiful' response in Egypt amid Tharoor's 'missed chance' query for Modi

PAkistan ground government minister Shehbaz Sharif gave US chairwoman Donald ruff all the credit entry for “stopping a war” with India as he spoke on stage at the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit in Egypt on Monday, October 13. It was yet another moment of bonhomie between the two leaders while, in India, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor suggested the Modi government may have missed an opportunity by sending only a Minister of State, Kirti Vardhan Singh.Trump, who proposed the Gaza peace plan, is co-hosting the summit with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.Earlier in the day, Trump addressed the Israeli Parliament, where he praised PM Benjamin Netanyahu and issued another to Palestinian group Hamas against violence.Updates | Trump signs peace accord to end Israel-Hamas warPrime Minister Narendra Modi, who was invited to the Egypt summit but chose to depute the MoS for Foreign Affairs, welcomed the Gaza ceasefire.Also read | After 'you are great' gift for Modi, Trump stresses '200% tariff' threat“We welcome the release of all hostages after over two years of captivity. Their freedom stands as a tribute to the courage of their families, the unwavering peace efforts of President Trump and the strong resolve of Prime Minister Netanyahu. We support President Trump’s sincere efforts to bring peace to the region,” PM Modi wrote on X.The summit is being attended by leaders of at least 20 other countries, Sisi's office said.Also read | PM Modi, Pak's Shehbaz Sharif in same frame, several spots apart at SCO summit in China“Strategic restraint or missed opportunity?” asked Congress MP and former global diplomat Shashi Tharoor in a post on X on Monday. He clarified that while this was “no reflection on Kirti Vardhan Singh, whose competence is not in question”, but “given the galaxy of grandees present, India’s choice could be seen as signalling a preference for strategic distance, which our statements don't convey”.And for reasons of protocol access alone, India's voice thus may carry less weight than it could have, Tharoor further said in the X post. “In a region reshaping itself, our relative absence is puzzling,” he said.On the invitee/attendee list are Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar's Emir, who coordinated with Trump to initiate the peace process.Mahmoud Abbas Abbas, leader of the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority, will attend too, while Netanyahu chose to give it a miss.Other world leaders attending the summit include French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, UK PM Keir Starmer, Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, European Council President Antonio Costa, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II, among others.Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Canada’s PM Mark Carney and Iraq’s PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani are among the attendees too.The Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit is being held just after ceasefire came into effect in Gaza. "The summit aims to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to bring peace and stability to the Middle East, and usher in a new phase of regional security and stability," Egypt said in a statement.The prisoner-hostage swap was done earlier in the day.Gazans have started returning to the remains of their war-torn homes. At least 67,000 people were killed in Israeli action in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when a Hamas attack in Israel killed around 1,200 people.For Shehbaz Sharif, this is the second meeting with Trump in just about a month after they met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City in September. Pak Army chief Asim Munir was with him. India was represented at the UNGA by its foreign minister S Jaishankar, who slammed Pakistan in his speech for its support to terrorism.Trump, meanwhile, apparently cozied up to Pakistan, whose leaders backed his desire for the Nobel Peace Prize. He has not got it this year, but remains hopeful.India has not played along with Trump's claim that he forced the two countries into a truce when India carried out Operation Sindoor in May against Pak terror bases after an attack in Kashmir.Trump repeated his claim while on his way to the Middle East on Monday.