Relieved PM showers praise on armed forces after US-brokered Pakistan-India ceasefire

ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday was confident that path of talks would be opted for the resolution of the issues of Kashmir, share of water, and other unresolved matters as per norms of justice.

In his televised address to the nation late night, the prime minister said that as a responsible nation, Pakistan gave positive response to the ceasefire offer for the sake of regional and world peace.

He congratulated the Pakistani nation for standing united in the face of Indian aggression and noted that the world had now witnessed the dignity, self-respect and unity of the Pakistani nation.

He especially thanked US President Trump for making sincere efforts to broker ceasefire between Pakistan and India. Shehbaz also expressed his thanks to the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan and leadership of other friendly countries for raising morale of Pakistan in the difficult time.

He particularly named time-test friend and Chinese President XI Jinping for the support. “These are historic fact which Pakistan will remember forever,” he said.

The prime minister also castigated India for imposing an “unprovoked and unjust war” on Pakistan, saying that New Delhi used the Pahalgam incident as a pretext to launch military aggression.

He said that Pakistan made a deliberate decision to respond to Indian aggression in the language it understands with force. “Within hours, our armed forces silenced the enemy’s guns in a manner that history will remember,” he said.

He noted that the sites of Indian airbases turning into rubble was a direct consequence of Pakistan’s resolute retaliation. “The blood of our brave soldiers boils at the enemy’s nefarious intentions,” he said.

The prime minister expressed gratitude to the country’s civil and military leadership, media and citizens for standing united amid tensions with India.

He especially thanked Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir for his exemplary leadership.

He also lauded Chief of Air Staff Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu and Pakistan Air Force personnel for their outstanding performance and giving befitting response to the enemy during the recent escalation and also downed Rafale aircraft.

The premier also thanked PMLN President Nawaz Sharif for his leadership and President Asif Ali Zardari for his valuable consultation.

He also lauded journalists and social media users who played a vital role in countering Indian disinformation campaigns.

He was hopeful that the civil and military leadership would continue their efforts so that Pakistan regain the lost glory. “Let us hope we surprise the world with our progress the way our military leadership surprised the world”, he said.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan after days of deadly jet fighter, missile, drone and artillery attacks between the nuclear-armed rivals.

“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 said on Truth Social, praising the two countries for “using Common Sense and Great Intelligence.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agreement follows extensive negotiations by him and Vice President J D Vance with Indian and Pakistani prime ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif and other top officials.

“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,” Rubio said on X.

“We commend Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif on their wisdom, prudence, and statesmanship in choosing the path of peace,” he added.

Key figures involved in the discussions also included Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and National Security Advisers Ajit Doval of India and Lieutenant General Asim Malik of Pakistan.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has confirmed that Pakistan and India have agreed to a “ceasefire with immediate effect”.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, before the ceasefire, and urged both Pakistan and India to find ways to de-escalate, a US Department of State spokesperson said.

Rubio also offered US assistance in starting constructive talks in order to avoid future conflicts, the spokesperson said.

“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!,” Dar said on X.

The State Department has said that the US is optimistic about the progress on ceasefire and remain committed to facilitating further dialogue.

Speaking to reporters, State Department Spokesperson Timmy Bruce said the U.S. remained engaged in multiple high-level phone conversations with both Pakistani and Indian leadership during the diplomatic push. These included direct calls with the prime ministers of both countries.

While details of the agreement remain under wraps, the State Department emphasized that ongoing dialogue would continue, with further contacts expected in the coming days. “We are optimistic about the progress made and remain committed to facilitating further dialogue,” Bruce said. “Our aim is to advance discussions effectively, and we believe this series will continue.”

“This progress is a result of the U.S. government implementing President Trump’s vision and insight,” Bruce stated, adding that the past 47 hours had been “long but purposeful” as American officials worked to help stabilize the situation. Bruce acknowledged the key role played by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and JD Vance (R-OH) in the progress toward a ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India. Bruce credited the senators with making a “clear difference” in advancing talks that could ease tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also confirmed that Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire.

“The Director General of Military Operations of Pakistan called its Indian counterpart… it was agreed between them that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, in the air and sea, with effect from IST today [Saturday],” he added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked President Trump “for his leadership and proactive role for peace in the region”.

“Pakistan appreciates the United States for facilitating this outcome, which we have accepted in the interest of regional peace and stability,” PM Shehbaz wrote in a post on X.

“We also thank Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their valuable contributions for peace in South Asia.”

“Pakistan believes this marks a new beginning in the resolution of issues that have plagued the region and prevented its journey toward peace, prosperity and stability,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that no meeting of the top military and civil body overseeing the country’s nuclear arsenal had been scheduled following a military operation against India.

“This thing that you have spoken about (nuclear option) is present, but let’s not talk about it — we should treat it as a very distant possibility, we shouldn’t even discuss it in the immediate context,” Asif told Geo News.

“Before we get to that point, I think temperatures will come down. No meeting has happened of the National Command Authority, nor is any such meeting scheduled.”

Earlier in the day, China had urged India and Pakistan to avoid an escalation in fighting, Beijing´s foreign ministry said.

“We strongly call on both India and Pakistan to give priority to peace and stability, remain calm and restrained, return to the track of political settlement through peaceful means and avoid taking actions that further escalate tensions,” a statement by a foreign ministry spokesperson said.

China’s foreign minister Wang Yi, called DPM Ishaq Dar, and said his country would continue to ‘stand by Pakistan’ in upholding its ‘sovereignty, territorial integrity and national independence.

Dar briefed China’s top diplomat on the evolving regional situation in the wake of Saturday night’s Indian aggression and Pakistan’s carefully calibrated response.

Wang Yi acknowledged Pakistan’s restraint and appreciated its responsible approach under challenging circumstances. He reaffirmed that China, as Pakistan’s all-weather strategic cooperative partner and ironclad friend, will continue to stand firmly by Pakistan in upholding its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national independence.

Both leaders emphasised the importance of close communication and agreed to maintain ongoing coordination in the days ahead.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also called India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval over phone, and expressed his hope that India and Pakistan will remain calm and restrained, properly handle differences through dialogue and consultation, and avoid escalating the situation.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, said China supports and expects India and Pakistan to achieve a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire through consultation, which is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and meets the common aspiration of the international community.

Wang also said that China condemns the terrorist attacks in Pahalgam area and opposes all forms of terrorism.

Noting that the world is undergoing both transformation and upheaval, Wang said peace and stability in Asia are hard-won and deserve to be cherished, adding that India and Pakistan are neighbours that cannot be moved away, and that they are both neighbors of China.

Doval said the attacks in Pahalgam area caused serious casualties for the Indian side, adding that India needs to take counter-terrorism actions.

War is not the choice of the Indian side and is not in the interests of either side, he said, adding that both India and Pakistan will be committed to a ceasefire and look forward to restoring regional peace and stability as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan called his Indian and Pakistani counterparts on to offer the kingdom´s services as a mediator between the two nuclear-armed states.

“During the telephone calls, discussions focused on efforts to put an end to the ongoing military clashes,” the Saudi minister said in a statement.

He underlined the “kingdom´s commitment to regional security and stability, and its close and balanced relations with the two friendly countries”.

Meanwhile Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement said that Pakistan and India have agreed to reach a ceasefire understanding. However, it is important to put the relevant developments in the right perspective.

In response to the firing of BrahMos missiles over several locations across the international border, Pakistan was constrained to retaliate to the unprovoked and unlawful Indian aggression in exercise of its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Accordingly, Pakistan launched “Operation Bunyan-ul-Marsoos” early on Saturday.

Without a shred of evidence, and disregarding Pakistan’s offer for a neutral, transparent and credible investigation by international investigators, India launched multiple strikes during the nights of 7-10 May 2025 which caused loss of innocent lives including women, children and the elderly. These indiscriminate attacks seriously injured dozens, in addition to causing damage to infrastructure, including places of worship.

As if the dastardly aggression during the intervening night of 6 and 7 May, breach of Pakistan’s sovereign airspace through firing of missiles and killer drones, and consequent human and material losses were already not grave enough, India further endangered the regional peace and stability by sending additional waves of killer drones in large numbers across the length and breadth of Pakistan, including the federal capital. These killer drones/ loitering munitions and missiles struck multiple civilian and military assets, inflicting further human and material losses and caused a great sense of insecurity among the Pakistani people, leading to heightened public demand for an immediate response in self-defence. Multiple missiles were also fired, targeting our air bases.

Despite facing blatant Indian aggression and persistent provocations, Pakistan exercised great restraint. However, it was constrained to respond to ensure the safety and security of its people. Notwithstanding the incessant provocations, our response deliberately avoided civilian casualties and was precise, proportionate, minutely calibrated, and manifestly restrained. Only those entities and facilities were targeted which planned, coordinated and executed blatant aggression against Pakistan and the cold-blooded killing of its innocent civilians. These targets also included those Indian airbases from where Pakistani airbases were subjected to unprovoked missile attacks. Irrefutable evidence in this regard has already been shared with the international community.

This dangerous conflagration between two nuclear-armed states calls for deeper introspection and a holistic appraisal by the international community. Far from being a matter of deep-rooted historic differences between the two neighbouring states in the volatile region of South Asia, the conflict ought to be seen in the broader context of the competing geopolitical interests. The negative impact of this competition has been a constant variable of the regional security paradigm. Hence, any casus belli of the conflict, contrived or actual, cannot be lumped onto any country without due understanding of the genesis and root causes of the problems leading to frequent regional conflicts which the region and the world can ill afford.

Strategic instability in South Asia is a result of the unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute. This dispute has been aggravated by Indian suppression of the legitimate struggle of Kashmiris for the inalienable right to self-determination and falsely equating it with terrorism. The scourge of terrorism and extremism is not intrinsic to South Asia. However, the undesirable and abhorrent debris of Cold War dynamics transformed the socio-political landscape and shattered regional peace. How the journey of Pakistan and the South Asian region from a progressive, tolerant, and forward-looking society to the current state was induced remains a subject to be explored by all the partners of the Grand Enterprise who cannot now remain silent spectators.

Despite herculean challenges, Pakistan re-emerged from the ravages of the Cold War as a resilient state and society that became the bulwark against the spread of terrorism and extremist ideology, albeit at a monumental cost. Pakistan’s sacrifices and contributions to the global fight against terrorism, especially post-9/11, are unparalleled. India, probably sensing an opportunity in Pakistan’s overwhelming commitment to the fight against terrorism along the western borders, has repeatedly attempted to exploit this perceived vulnerability by waging an intense hybrid campaign against Pakistan and orchestrating terrorism through proxies to destabilise it. India’s military provocations post-9/11 ought to be seen in the same light. Through such insidious manoeuvres, despite being a victim of terrorism, Pakistan is continuously being subjected to a two-front situation so that it remains mired in internal problems and not able to focus on its development as well as the re-transformation of its society.

Surprisingly, India’s bogey of Pakistan as the ‘epicentre’ of terrorism quickly resurfaces whenever Pakistan is close to decisively eliminating the menace of terrorism. This vicious cycle, going on for over two decades, must end now. Any distraction for Pakistan, at this critical juncture, from its monumental struggle against the scourge of terrorism and the creeping extremist ideology from its west would be to the great peril of regional peace and global stability. Pakistan urges the international community to restrain India from using the sham narrative of the so-called terrorism from Pakistan in order to secure sustainable peace. A forward-looking Pakistan needs support, not indifference from the international community.

India must also realise that its attempts to externalise an internal issue, i.e. organic resistance to state-sanctioned persecution of minorities, and internalise an external issue, i.e. Jammu and Kashmir dispute, are dangerous and destabilising. India must not use the phenomenon of terrorism as a vehicle to secure policy goals such as the abrogation of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and illegally holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. Pakistan cannot be coerced by such antics. Pakistan is willing to engage in constructive diplomacy and comprehensive dialogue with India and seek resolution of all issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, through peaceful means. The international community must also play its role in preventing further escalation.

All elements of national power remain committed to ensuring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan. Our Armed Forces are obligated to take all measures for defending the motherland, its citizens, and in contributing to securing Pakistan’s vital national interests. This obligation is a sacred trust of the proud, resilient, brave, and honourable people of Pakistan.

For the sake of regional peace and stability, Pakistan mounted a very responsible, proportionate, and mature response. It is aware of the disastrous consequences of further escalation between two nuclear states; it is absolutely inconceivable. Any propensity to tread this dangerous path is fraught with catastrophic consequences for the complete region and beyond; hence, such an approach ought to be avoided, the Foreign Ministry’s statement concluded.

Global leaders have welcomed latest development between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the ceasefire, calling it a “positive step” that should lead to peace, his spokesperson said. Guterres “hopes the agreement will contribute to lasting peace and foster an environment conducive to addressing broader, longstanding issues between the two countries,” Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

US Vice President JD Vance has extended gratitude to the leaders of Pakistan and India for their willingness to engage in this ceasefire.

“Great work from the President’s [Trump] team, especially Secretary Rubio. And my gratitude to the leaders of India and Pakistan for their hard work and willingness to engage in this ceasefire,” he wrote on X.

Bangladesh interim leader Muhammad Yunus said: “I most sincerely commend Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi of India and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan for agreeing to a ceasefire with immediate effect and to engage in talks. Bangladesh will continue to support our two neighbours to resolve differences through diplomacy.”

EU Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said: “The announced ceasefire between India and Pakistan is a vital step toward de-escalation. All efforts must be made to ensure it is respected. The EU remains committed to peace, stability, and counter-terrorism in the region.”

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy wrote on X that the ceasefire is “hugely welcome”, adding that de-escalation was in “everybody´s interest”.

“Today´s ceasefire between India and Pakistan is hugely welcome. I urge both parties to sustain this. De-escalation is in everybody´s interest,” he wrote.

Germany also welcomed as a first step the full and immediate ceasefire agreed to by India and Pakistan.

“The ceasefire agreed between #India and #Pakistan is a first, important step out of the escalation spiral. Dialogue is key,” the German foreign office said in a post on the X social media.

Saudi Arabia also hailed the ceasefire agreement.

In a statement, the spokesperson of Riyadh’s Foreign Ministry expressed hope that it will restore security and peace in the region.

DPM Dar also spoke with Foreign Minister of Greece Giorgos Gerapetritis who welcomed the ceasefire understanding between Pakistan and India. The DPM/FM reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to peace & security in the region and beyond.

50th hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims His Highness Prince Rahim al-Hussaini said: “I am pleased to see that ceasefire has been agreed upon. I pray that both countries will work to resolve issues that date back to 1947 through dialogue and peaceful means.”

Iran welcomed the immediate ceasefire, calling it an “opportunity” to reduce tensions further.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei called on both countries “to use this opportunity to ensure a reduction in tensions and lasting peace in the region”.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar received a telephone call from Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al Jubeir, who welcomed the ceasefire understanding between Pakistan and India.

Former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif also congratulated the nation over the ceasefire with India.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president wrote on X: “Thanks to Allah, the Lord of Glory, that He has raised Pakistan high. I, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, extend my congratulations and commendations to the Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Sindhu, and the Pakistan Armed Forces.”

The former prime minister concluded “Pakistan is a peace-loving country and prioritises peace, but it also knows how to defend itself.”

DPM Ishaq Dar received a phone call from Egypt’s Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty, who welcomed the ceasefire understanding.

Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to promoting regional peace & security.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan also welcomed the ceasefire, calling it a “positive development”.

Speaking to Geo News, he said Pakistan had no choice but to respond after repeated provocations from Indian side.

“India was relentless in its aggression and aimed to inflict damage on Pakistan. The nation rose above personal and political interests and gave a powerful reply that crushed India’s arrogance,” he said.