Washington/New Delhi/Islamabad: India and Pakistan have agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire, following a night of high-level diplomatic engagement mediated by the United States, President Donald Trump announced on Saturday.
The ceasefire agreement came just hours after the two countries exchanged military strikes, marking a dangerous escalation in cross-border tensions.
“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,” President Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social.
“Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added.
The U.S.-brokered truce followed a series of diplomatic calls led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who spoke with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir.
Rubio also confirmed the development on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
“Over the past 48 hours, @VP Vance and I 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.”
He further added, “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.”
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“We commend Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif on their wisdom, prudence, and statesmanship in choosing the path of peace,” he said.
The ceasefire was officially confirmed by Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who stated it would take effect immediately.
