Congress slams Modi, calls Pakistan mediation a ‘severe setback’ for India

The Indian National Congress on Tuesday criticised the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party over reports suggesting Pakistan may be acting as a mediator between the United States and Iran, calling it a “severe setback” for India if confirmed. It was earlier reported that Pakistan was positioning itself as a mediator to help broker a ceasefire to end the Middle East crisis. This development was later confirmed today after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly offered Pakistan as a venue for US‑Iran peace talks. In a post on X, the premier said: “Pakistan welcomes and fully supports ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end the war in Middle East, in the interest of peace and stability in region and beyond. Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honoured to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict.” Read: PM Shehbaz says Pakistan ready to host US-Iran talks as FO acknowledges role in de-escalation efforts The offer received further attention after US President Donald Trump shared it on his Truth Social platform. In a post on X, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, referring to reports that Pakistan may play the role of a mediator, said that if these reports were true, they represented a severe setback and rebuff to India. “It is all attributable to the self-styled Vishwaguru,” he added, in an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He hailed Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts after the brief war between the two countries in May last year, saying the sad reality is that, thereafter, Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement and narrative management were markedly superior to that of the Modi government. “Pakistan, which was in a hugely precarious situation — politically, socially, economically and globally — has received a fresh lease of life,” Ramesh said. Multiple reports in leading international media outlets have identified Pakistan as one of the intermediaries being used between the US and Israel on the one side and Iran on the other. If these reports are true, they represent a severe setback and rebuff to India - and it is… — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) March 24, 2026 He also pointed to Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir being hosted twice by Trump, noting that the Pakistani establishment had cultivated a "cosy relationship" with the US president’s circle. Ramesh also criticised Modi’s visit to Israel just two days before the Middle East crisis, calling it “ill-advised”. “The prime minister’s huglomacy stands brutally exposed. The country is being forced to pay a price for this,” he said, adding that Modi’s visit to Israel would go down in India’s political history as a “singularly disastrous choice” that undermined India’s potential role as a mediator.