Pakistan and India agreed to an immediate ceasefire, hours after the Pakistan Army launched missile strikes under the powerful Bunyanum Marsoos military action inside multiple locations in India to exercise its right to self-defense following India’s missile attacks.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who is also minister for foreign affairs, announced that Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect. He said that Pakistan had always strived for peace and security in the South Asian region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity. On X, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked US President Donald Trump for his 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. We also thank Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their valuable contributions for peace in South Asia.” He wrote that this ceasefire marked a new beginning in the resolution of issues that had plagued this region and prevented its journey toward peace, prosperity and stability.
On X, American President Donald Trump announced that both Pakistan and India had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire. “After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that Pakistan and India have agreed to a full ceasefire,” he said, and congratulated both the neighboring nations on what he says using common sense and great intelligence.
Shehbaz Sharif announced to observe ‘Youm-e-Tashakur’ on the country’s befitting response to Indian aggression and on the success of the military action. He said the military action gave an effective and befitting response to the enemy’s aggression. Despite India’s aggression, Pakistan maintained its defense with resilience and demonstrated full readiness to deal with the situation. He urged the nation and the religious scholars to offer collective special prayers for blessings of martyrs.
Marco Rubio says Pakistan and India to start talks on broad set of issues at a neutral site
American Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, and National Security Adviser Asim Malik. Separately, these American officials contacted India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister for External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. “Pakistan and India have agreed to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site,” Marco Rubio wrote.
On telephone, Ishaq Dar briefed Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi on the regional situation in the wake of India’s aggression and carefully calibrated response. During the conversation, the Chinese leader acknowledged Pakistan’s restraint and appreciated its approach under challenging circumstances. As Pakistan’s strategic partner and ironclad friend, China would continue to stand firmly by it in upholding its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national independence, he reaffirmed.
‘Pakistan is neither aggressor nor provocateur, it only responded to unprovoked aggression in self-defense under UN charter’
Foreign Office spokesperson said in Islamabad that all elements of the national power remained committed to ensuring Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “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.” For peace and stability, the spokesperson said Pakistan mounted a very responsible, proportionate, and mature response.
The spokesperson said that Pakistan and India agreed to reach a ceasefire understanding. However, he said that it was important to put the relevant developments in the right perspective. In response to the firing of Indian missiles over several locations across the border, Pakistan was constrained to retaliate to the unprovoked Indian aggression in exercise of its right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Despite facing blatant Indian aggression and persistent provocations, he said that Pakistan exercised great restraint.
However, it was constrained to respond to ensure the safety and security of its people. “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,” the spokesperson said. “These targets also included those Indian airbases from where Pakistani airbases were subjected to unprovoked missile attacks.”
“Strategic instability in South Asia is a result of the unresolved Jammu Kashmir dispute. This dispute has been aggravated by Indian suppression of the legitimate struggle of Kashmiris for inalienable right to self-determination and falsely equating it with terrorism,” he said. The scourge of terrorism and extremism was not intrinsic to South Asia, the spokesperson said, adding undesirable and abhorrent debris of the ‘cold war’ dynamics transformed the socio-political landscape and shattered regional peace.
Pakistan re-emerged from the ravages of the ‘cold war’ as a resilient state and society that became the bulwark against extremist ideology, albeit at a monumental cost, he said. The spokesperson said that a forward-looking Pakistan needed support, as Pakistan could not 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 Jammu Kashmir, through peaceful means. The world community must play its role in preventing further escalation.”
Early on Saturday, Pakistan launched the Bunyanum Marsoos military operation against India and targeted several strategic installations. Senior security officials said that seven sites in India, including the key Pathankot air base, Udhampur air base, Gujarat air base. Rajhastan air base and Brahmos storage site, were targeted. The operation was launched in retaliation to Indian missile strikes that hit several locations inside Pakistan. Earlier, India has fired missiles at three air bases inside Pakistan, however all assets of the Pakistan Air Force remained safe.
Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry at a press conference confirmed that India fired air-to-ground missiles at the Nur Khan Base in Rawalpindi, Murid Base in Chakwal and Shorkot Air Base. He warned India of a befitting response before launching the Bunyanum Marsoos operation. He said that India with its arrogance was pushing the region into destabilization. “We will not get impressed by this, and will fight with full force,” he said.
Heads of military operations contact thru hotline for a ceasefire, likely to speak again on May 12
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that head of Pakistan’s military operations contacted his Indian counterpart and it was agreed that both the sides would stop all firing. It said that the two heads will speak to each other again on May 12. In a TV interview, the deputy prime minister said that civil leadership and top military officials launched the Bunyanum Marsoos operation after exhausting all patience, vowing India would not be allowed to claim its hegemony in the region.
“We had no choice after last night’s attacks at airbases. Our patience has run out. There is a threshold that we cannot go beyond. It is the government’s foremost responsibility to protect the country’s sovereignty,” he said, adding that the government and the armed forces were determined not to allow India to claim its hegemony. He pointed out that Pakistan’s actions were defensive in nature as it still preserved the right to respond to India’s earlier actions.
On the night of May 6-7, the armed forces responded decisively to Indian strikes and downed five Indian jets, he said, and added there were clear instructions not to be on the offensive. He said that the actions that have been taken were retaliatory and defensive, the world can see that. “Pakistan has shot down 80 Indian drones. We have acted with restraint. What we are doing now is proportionate retaliation. More responses remain an option if India continues its provocations,” he commented.
Highlighting Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement with the world community, the deputy prime minister said the world was increasingly aware of India’s misleading claims, particularly regarding allegations of involvement in the Pahalgam false flag operation. Even some Indian journalists have begun questioning the lack of evidence behind their government’s accusations, he said, and asked the international community to hold India accountable. Contrary to India’s claims, he said that the US has officially confirmed that no F-16 of Pakistan was downed.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad and briefed him about the Indian aggression and effective response being given to India by Pakistan in the form of Bunyanum Marsoos. The president lauded exceptional professionalism and bravery of the armed forces for giving a befitting response to Indian aggression and missile attacks. He regretted that continued Indian belligerence had left Pakistan with no option but to respond decisively in defense of its sovereignty and to protect its citizens.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto said that Pakistan’s response under Bunyanum Marsoos operation was necessary, proportionate and in clear exercise of the country’s right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. “We do not seek war, but neither will we tolerate aggression. The nation stands united,” he said in a tweet. From Karachi to Khyber, from Gwadar to Gilgit, he said every Pakistani stand with the armed forces. He also received a telephone call from Shehbaz Sharif who expressed gratitude for his support of Pakistan’s retaliatory action.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said that Pakistan was neither aggressor nor provocateur, it only responded to unprovoked Indian aggression in self-defense under the UN charter. He said Pakistan was a responsible country which had shown great restraint in the wake of unprovoked attacks for the past four days. He said India targeted civilian population in Pakistan and killed innocent people, who had nothing to do with anything.
He also confirmed that Pakistan did not target any civilian population in India. He said India itself targeted Amritsar to give an impression that Pakistan had attacked the holy city of Sikh community. In Pakistan, he said that the government was protecting and serving religious sites of Sikh community in Nankana, Panja Sahib and Kartarpur. He said Pahalgam attack was a security and intelligence failure as more than 700,000 Indian troops have been deployed in the occupied state.
Experts welcome ceasefire, suggest lasting peace through dialogue, diplomacy
Center for Peace & Secular Studies founder Saeeda Diep called the ceasefire announcement a welcome relief for peace-loving people in both Pakistan and India. At a time when tensions were dangerously high, she said that this agreement offers a critical opportunity to prevent further loss of life and the senseless waste of resources that war inevitably brings. Despite mutual accusations of sponsoring terror, the people from both the nations long for peace, and not conflict, she pointed out.
“South Asia, home to one-fifth of humanity, is a region enriched by religious and cultural diversity — Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Baha’is, Zoroastrians, Buddhists, Jains, and Dalits live side by side. Any vision of transforming this region into a homogenous religious bloc—whether Muslim or Hindu—is not only unrealistic but dangerous,” Saeeda Diep said. She urged the international powers, who helped facilitate this ceasefire, to also play a constructive role in bringing Pakistan and India to the negotiating table to resolve long-standing issues through diplomacy.
In his social media message, policy expert Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi welcome ceasefire between Pakistan and India – a powerful reminder that diplomacy, wisdom, and shared humanity can triumph over conflict – with heartfelt relief and pride. “Let this be a moment of hope not just for our two nations, but for the youth who dream of a peaceful, united, and prosperous South Asia,” he wrote. “We stand firm in our commitment to resilience, unity, and academic continuity,” he said.
In a video message, Center for China and Globalization Vice President Dr Victor Gao reaffirmed strong and lasting bond between Pakistan and China, calling it ironclad and based on deep trust and mutual support. Both the countries stand firmly with each other in every situation, he said, and made it clear that China would not stay silent if any rising tension posed a threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, or legitimate rights. “No country should doubt China’s commitment to defending Pakistan’s sovereignty and national interests,” he said.
In a statement issued in Rawalpindi, Archbishop Dr Joseph Arshad said that the announcement of a ceasefire between Pakistan and India has brought tidings of peace and hope in the region. He said that this moment should be used an opportunity for continuous stability in the region. He emphasized that the ceasefire also served as a reminder to the power of diplomacy over conflict. He said that a peaceful future for the South Asian region begins with cooperation, dialogue, mutual respect, and a commitment to peace.
Former SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Iftikhar Ali Malik welcomed the Pakistan-India ceasefire, highlighting its potential to foster lasting stability in the South Asian region. He described the ceasefire as a pivotal opportunity to rebuild trust, and called sustainable peace the bedrock of prosperity. He urged Islamabad and New Delhi to prioritize dialogue and regional collaboration over confrontation. He linked the easing of hostilities to economic revival, stating that reduced tensions could unlock avenues for cross-border trade, foreign investment, and large-scale regional connectivity projects that have long been hindered by instability.
“A peaceful environment attracts global investors,” he said, emphasizing that South Asia’s GDP potential has been undercut by decades of conflict. He noted that the ceasefire could reignite multilateral cooperation and transform South Asia into a hub of innovation and inclusive growth. “Peace is not only a political imperative but also an economic necessity,” he said. “A durable peace sends a strong global message that dialogue is the path forward.” He called on all SAARC member states to support this positive development and renew their commitment to reviving the regional economic agenda through cooperation and shared progress.
