Trump’s claim: Nuclear war between India and Pakistan stopped, Pak PM’s life saved… 3.5 crore deaths averted

Washington: US President Donald Trump has said that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had told him that if he had not intervened to stop the war between India and Pakistan, 35 million people would have died. In his more than 100-minute-long State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump reiterated his claim that he helped prevent a war between the two South Asian neighbors that could have escalated into nuclear war.

Trump said, “In my first 10 months, I ended eight wars… including the conflict between Pakistan and India, which could have turned into a nuclear war.” The Prime Minister of Pakistan had said that if I had not intervened, 35 million people would have died.” The US President had earlier made similar claims in which he had said that Sharif had given him credit for saving millions of lives by helping end the conflict between the neighboring countries armed with nuclear weapons. Earlier, Trump had given lower figures than this. He had once mentioned the figure of Rs 2.5 crore and later Rs 1 crore. Trump has many times given himself credit for stopping the conflict between India and Pakistan. He has made this claim nearly 100 times since May 10 last year, when he announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “complete and immediate” ceasefire after “late night” talks brokered by Washington.

India has consistently denied any third party interference. In his address, Trump also listed several other conflicts that he claimed to help resolve. These include the wars in Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Congo and Rwanda, and Gaza, which he said now continue at a “very low level”. Trump said that America is restoring security at home and abroad.

“We are proudly restoring the security of Americans at home and ensuring the security of Americans abroad,” the President said in his second ‘State of the Union’ address at the White House (the official residence and office of the US President). Our country is stronger than ever.” When Democratic lawmakers interrupted Trump’s address, he said, ”This is not a joke. These poor people.”