In a major diplomatic breakthrough, India and Pakistan have announced an immediate ceasefire after days of intense cross-border hostilities that raised fears of a wider regional conflict.
The ceasefire agreement was confirmed separately by both countries’ foreign ministers on Saturday, May 10, 2025, shortly after a post by U.S. President Donald Trump stating that Washington had mediated the deal.
“Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect,” Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to peace and regional stability, adding that the agreement would not compromise the nation’s sovereignty or territorial integrity.
India’s External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, also confirmed the truce, writing: “India and Pakistan have today worked out an understanding on stoppage of firing and military action.”
The ceasefire comes after a week of escalating violence, triggered by a deadly militant attack on April 22 in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 people dead—mostly Indian tourists.
India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the attack, prompting retaliatory strikes on both Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir early Wednesday.
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The skirmishes, which included drone attacks, artillery shelling, and missile exchanges, led to civilian and military casualties on both sides, though exact figures remain unverified. Pakistan has denied involvement in the April 22 incident and called for an independent investigation.
The U.S. played a key role in brokering the truce, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly engaging in urgent discussions with his Indian and Pakistani counterparts prior to the announcement.
This agreement is the latest chapter in the long-standing hostility between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, rooted in the violent partition of British India in 1947. The two nations have since fought three full-scale wars—two of them over the disputed region of Kashmir.
Global powers have welcomed the ceasefire as a critical step toward de-escalation and renewed diplomacy in South Asia. However, analysts warn that the truce’s longevity will depend on mutual restraint, transparent dialogue, and progress on underlying disputes, particularly Kashmir.
NAN
