India also has a long-standing policy of refusing to allow foreign mediation when it comes to the status of Muslim-majority Kashmir - a disputed region claimed by both India and Pakistan in its entirety - which has been at the center of the latest conflict with Pakistan and which India regards as a strictly internal matter.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said his country “showcased its strength” and “proved its superiority” in clashes with Pakistan that brought the nuclear-armed neighbours to the brink of war.