Modi skipped Asean summit to 'avoid Pakistan discussion with Trump'

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly skipped attending the Asean summit in Malaysia in person, fearing US President Donald Trump would bring up matters related to Pakistan.

Modi had decided against travelling to Kuala Lumpur for the regional leaders' summit, opting instead to address the gathering virtually, a report published by Bloomberg read.

"Officials in the government were apprehensive that Trump would repeat his claim that he mediated a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, which India has consistently denied," it added.

Modi was reportedly unwilling to meet Trump, fearing it could prove "embarrassing" for the Indian premier amid the approaching state elections in Bihar.

It is noteworthy that this was not the first instance of Modi skipping a potential meeting with Trump. He had also avoided attending the United Nations General Assembly session the previous month.

Relations between India and the US have deteriorated since the Pakistan conflict five months ago. In August, Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian exports, with half of the tariff serving as a penalty for India's purchase of Russian oil. Since then, trade negotiations have been underway, but there is still no clear indication of a deal.

Trump had repeatedly said that his intervention prevented a "bad nuclear war" between Pakistan and India in May this year.

"We stopped a nuclear conflict. I think it could have been a bad nuclear war, millions of people could have been killed. So I'm very proud of that," Trump told reporters at the White House days after Pakistan and India agreed on the ceasefire.

Last week, the US president said he told Modi that there should be no war with Pakistan, stressing that he had helped avert several conflicts through diplomacy and trade pressure.

In May, Pakistan and Indian engaged in a military showdown, the worst between the two countries in decades, which was sparked by a terrorist attack on tourists in IIOJK's Pahalgam area, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan.

Islamabad denied involvement in the attack, which killed 26 men and was the worst assault on civilians in India since the Mumbai attacks in 2008.

After the incident, India killed several innocent civilians in unprovoked attacks on Pakistan for three days before the Pakistan Armed Forces retaliated in defence with the successful Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos.

Pakistan downed seven IAF fighter jets, including Rafale, and dozens of drones. After at least 87 hours, the war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US.

Pakistan has consistently credited Trump with securing a ceasefire and even nominated him for the Nobel Prize.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has described Trump as a "genuine man of peace", saying that the US president worked "relentlessly and untiringly" to end global conflicts, including the war in Gaza.

The US president has also praised Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and PM Shehbaz, calling them "great people".