ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly skipped out on attending the Asean summit in Malaysia, fearing US President Donald Trump would raise matters related to Pakistan.
According to a report published by Bloomberg on Tuesday, Modi chose not to travel to Kuala Lumpur for the regional leaders’ summit, deciding instead to address the meeting virtually.
The opposition Congress party had blamed the change of plan on Modi’s fear of meeting Trump.
The annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a 10-member grouping, along with related meetings, took place from October 26 to 28 in Kuala Lumpur.
“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stayed away from a regional leaders summit in Malaysia this week to avoid meeting US President Donald Trump and having a possible discussion about Pakistan,” people familiar with the matter said.
“Officials in the government were apprehensive that Trump would repeat his claim that he mediated a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after a four-day armed conflict in May, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private,” Bloomberg reported about the alleged reason behind the skipping out on the summit.
The report added that Modi was busy campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the crucial Bihar elections and did not want to risk a meeting with Trump that could potentially prove embarrassing for the Prime Minister.
“Modi is the main face of his party’s campaign in Bihar state and any comments by Trump, especially regarding Pakistan, could be used by the prime minister’s rivals against him and damage his party’s chances at the polls,” the report said.”
In a similar report published in August, Bloomberg noted that Modi had declined an invitation from Trump to visit the White House, citing concerns that it could lead to a meeting with Pakistan’s Chief of the Army Staff, Syed Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Ties between Washington and New Delhi deteriorated in August after Trump raised tariffs to 50 per cent, with US officials accusing India of supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine by purchasing discounted Russian oil.
Tensions were further compounded by Trump’s push to resolve the May conflict between Pakistan and India, a proposal that New Delhi continues to firmly reject.
Earlier today, Trump reiterated that seven aircraft were shot down during the brief military escalation between Pakistan and India in May.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated earlier this year. In April 2025, a militant attack in the Pahalgam area of Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir killed 26 people.
India swiftly blamed Pakistan for the attack without presenting any evidence. Pakistan condemned the attack and strongly rejected the Indian allegations as baseless.
Pakistan had also repeatedly offered to conduct a neutral and independent international investigation into the incident. However, India failed to respond to Pakistan’s offer and continued with its aggressive posture.
On 7 May, India launched unprovoked aggression against Pakistan, targeting civilian infrastructure in Kashmir and Punjab. Pakistan responded with full force and caused heavy losses to the Indian military.
Pakistan also shot down six Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales. Many international experts have backed Pakistan’s claim of shooting down Indian fighter jets.
In its aftermath, Pakistan’s military announced that 40 civilians — including women and children — and 11 Pakistani servicemen were killed during a four-day confrontation.
