Pakistan Rejects Indian Media’s Ceasefire Claims

Islamabad has firmly refuted assertions made by Indian media outlets, which quoted Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar as stating that Pakistan had requested a ceasefire following the recent tensions with India.

The two nuclear-armed neighboring rivals were engaged in a severe military clash after India launched unprovoked missile strikes on Pakistani territory last month.

In response to what it perceived as Indian aggression, the Pakistan Army initiated Operation Bunyan-e-Marsous (Iron Wall). New Delhi characterized this operation as a reaction to alleged Pakistani involvement in an attack on tourists in Pahalgam, illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, in April.

Both nations suffered casualties and property damage. The Pakistan Air Force reported shooting down at least six Indian fighter planes, including Rafale aircraft, while protecting Pakistan’s sovereignty.

The 87-hour conflict, which stoked fears of a potential nuclear exchange, concluded with a ceasefire facilitated by the United States. India has repeatedly claimed that Pakistan initially approached the US to request a cessation of hostilities, a claim that Islamabad has strongly denied.

“We categorically deny the reports suggesting that Pakistan sought a ceasefire following the Indian aggression,” a Foreign Office spokesperson stated in a release issued late Friday.

The spokesperson added that DPM Dar, in his media interactions and statements, had clarified that Pakistan responded decisively to Indian aggression, exercising its right to self-defense.

He mentioned that friendly countries, notably Saudi Arabia and the United States, were instrumental in brokering the ceasefire between Pakistan and India.

“The sequence of events clearly indicates that Pakistan did not initiate or request a ceasefire. Instead, Pakistan agreed to it after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted Dar at 8:15 am on May 10, 2025, relaying India’s willingness to cease fire if Pakistan concurred,” the spokesperson noted.

The FO further stated that the FM confirmed Pakistan’s agreement to the proposal. Subsequently, around 9 am, Saudi FM Prince Faisal also contacted Dar, conveying the same message from India and seeking confirmation, similar to Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s earlier inquiry.

The US president has publicly reiterated his position and even offered to mediate the longstanding Kashmir dispute between the two nations – a stance also emphasized by the US State Department.

While Pakistan has repeatedly acknowledged President Trump’s role in the ceasefire, which he has highlighted on several occasions, India has refuted any US involvement.