Oli’s India-Pakistan truce ‘claim’ generates sharp reactions on social media

Kathmandu: Nepali X users on Monday reacted sharply to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s claim that India and Pakistan stopped the war “after our request.”

Speaking at a program organized in Lumbini to mark Buddha Jayanti, Oli said that India and Pakistan were on the verge of war, but “we requested them not to do so.”

Oli’s claim comes despite international media reports attributing the de-escalation to US mediators, along with diplomatic backchannels and regional players, who were said to have played a critical role in pulling the nuclear-armed rivals back from the brink.

Nepalis took to X, formerly Twitter, to mock Oli for what many called an “outlandish” claim.

“Have some shame, sir,” wrote one X user, sharing a link to a Nepali news report on Oli’s statement that “the war between India and Pakistan stopped after we requested them to exercise restraint.”

“I’m concerned about his well-being. Is he okay? Either the media is overreacting, or he has a serious mental health issue. This is not normal behavior,” wrote another.

“This is now a clinical case! His relatives and party comrades letting him do this and not placing him under nursing care are guilty of both elder and invalid abuse!” posted another user.

Oli, 73, is known for making bizarre and false claims.

In the past, he proposed that Nepal should have its own ship and even set a date for ticket sales. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he made a series of false and unscientific statements.

However, this appears to be the first time he has made such a statement concerning a sensitive issue like war.

On May 7, India reported striking nine targets inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, describing it as retaliation for a deadly militant attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which killed 26 people—including one Nepali national. The Pahalgam terror attack was described as the deadliest on Indian soil since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

In the days that followed, India and Pakistan accused each other of cross-border shelling and claimed to have shot down rival drones and aircraft. Both nations said they struck each other’s military bases. The Pakistani military claimed to have targeted about 26 military facilities in India, according to reports.

The four days of escalating tension ended on Saturday. In a dramatic announcement, US President Donald Trump claimed that Washington had brokered a ceasefire. “After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed the ceasefire, stating, “It was agreed between them that both sides will stop firing and military action on land, air, and sea from 17:00 hrs IST today.”

However, Indian officials have downplayed Trump’s claim, emphasizing that the ceasefire was the result of direct military communication between Indian and Pakistani commanders. While the United States is believed to have played a background role, New Delhi has not publicly acknowledged any third-party mediation.

Rhetoric, however, has continued from both sides even after the ceasefire.

Oli’s statement on Monday came amid all this, prompting a wave of reactions from Nepali netizens. However, it appears that Oli may not have said exactly what was reported by the online news portal in question. In a video clip of the event, reviewed by NepalViews, Oli is heard saying:

“Just a few days back, our neighbours, India and Pakistan, were almost heading towards war. But this did not escalate. They deserve thanks for their restraint.

“We had said from the beginning [that] it should not escalate. We wished this exchange of fire would not grow into war. We talked to them, and they expressed a commitment not to go to war,” he added.

Oli, however, is not the only Nepali politician to have made such lofty claims.

Former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal—a longtime comrade of Oli who later split to form his own party—still gets mocked for his claim that he mediated peace between South Korea and North Korea.

On Monday, netizens took a jab at Oli, saying they had thought it was only Madhav Nepal who had brokered peace around the world.

As Oli’s claim made the rounds, one X user attempted to differentiate between what the prime minister actually said and what was reported.

“Many seem to have fallen for clickbait journalism,” the user wrote. “It looks like the media’s claim was based more on the old man’s tone than his actual words.”