ISLAMABAD: United States President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that both Pakistan and India have agreed for a ceasefire, hours after Pakistan retaliated in response to Indian attacks and launched ‘Bunyan-ul-Marsoos’ against Indian military.
Minutes after Donald Trump’s tweet, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also confirmed the development.
“Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect. Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Ishaq Dar wrote on social media platform X.
India’s Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri said a ceasefire was established between the two neighbours.
“The DGMO of Pakistan called DGMO of India at 15:35 hours earlier this afternoon. It was agreed between them that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea with effect from 1700 hours IST,” he said during a press briefing.
“Instructions have been given on both sides to give effect to this understanding,” Misri said.
He added that the DGMOs would “talk again on 12th of May at 1200 hours.
However within hours, violations were reported from the main cities of Indian Kashmir, the territory that had borne the brunt of four days of fighting. Blasts were heard in Srinagar and Jammu and projectiles and flashes were seen in the night sky over Jammu, similar to the events of the previous evening, according to authorities.
Military spokespeople in both countries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The fighting had been the worst between the old South Asian enemies in nearly three decades and threatened to erupt into a full-scale war in one of the world’s most volatile and densely populated regions.
There were briefly fears that nuclear arsenals might come into play as Pakistan’s military said a top body overseeing its nuclear weapons would meet.
But the defence minister said no such meeting was scheduled, hours after a night of heavy fighting in which the two countries targeted each other’s military bases and the combined civilian death toll rose to 66.
The US government earlier said it offered assistance to make India and Pakistan start “constructive talks” while the Group of Seven (G7) major countries also urged the Asian neighbors to engage in direct dialogue amid heightened hostilities.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio took to the social media site, X, and wrote that over the past 48 hours, US Vice President JD Vance and him have engaged with senior Indian and Pakistani officials, including Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, and National Security Advisors Ajit Doval and Asim Malik.
“I am pleased to announce the Governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site. We commend Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif on their wisdom, prudence, and statesmanship in choosing the path of peace,” he concluded.
Later, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked US President Donald Trump for his “leadership and proactive role” in helping Pakistan and India achieve peace in the region.
“Pakistan appreciates the US for facilitating this outcome, which we have accepted in the interest of regional peace and stability,” PM Shehbaz said in a post on X.
“We also thank Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their valuable contributions to peace in South Asia,” the premier said, adding that the country believed the step marked a new beginning in resolving issues that have plagued the region and hindered its journey toward peace, prosperity and stability.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr, and briefed the President about the Indian aggression and effective response being given to India by Pakistan in the form of “Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and Minister for Law and Justice, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, were also present during the meeting.
The President lauded the exceptional professionalism and bravery of the Armed Forces of the country for giving a befitting response to Indian unprovoked aggression and missile attacks.
The President reaffirmed that Pakistan, as a responsible and peace-loving nation, had demonstrated considerable restraint in the face of Indian provocations.
India military says committed to ‘non-escalation, only if Pakistan reciprocates’
Indian Air Force Wing Commander Vyomika Singh has stated that India’s military remains committed to de-escalation only if Pakistan reciprocates—as soaring tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours push them to the brink of all-out war.
Singh spoke at a press conference on Saturday alongside Indian Army’s Colonel Sophia Qureshi and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri after Pakistan launched retaliatory strikes on Indian targets.
“Along the Line of Control, Pakistan has attempted multiple air intrusions using drones and has conducted shelling with heavy calibre artillery guns… heavy exchanges of artillery, mortars, and small arms fire have continued in the Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri, and Akhnoor sectors… Pakistani military movements have been observed in forward areas, indicating offensive intent to further escalate the situation… The Indian Armed Forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is reciprocated by the Pakistan military.”
Colonel Qureshi admitted that Pakistan’s retaliatory had damaged equipment and injured personnel at five Indian airbases — Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur, Bhuj and Bathinda — after targeting “more than 26 places.”
Meanwhile, the United States has stepped up diplomatic efforts, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio holding calls with Pakistan’s army chief Gen Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
The Group of Seven (G7) nations have also urged India and Pakistan to immediately de-escalate rising military tensions and engage in direct dialogue.
Brink of war
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated sharply following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, located in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which left 26 people dead. India blamed Pakistan-based elements for the attack without presenting evidence. Islamabad categorically rejected the accusations.
In response, India closed the Wagah land border, revoked Pakistani visas, and announced the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty on April 23.
Pakistan labelled any disruption to the treaty as an “act of war” and subsequently sealed the Wagah crossing on its side.
The situation further deteriorated on May 6 and 7, with explosions reported in several Pakistani cities including Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Muridke, and Bahawalpur.
