US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire” following four days of strikes and counter-strikes targeting each other’s military installations.
Pakistan’s foreign minister confirmed that both countries had agreed to a ceasefire “with immediate effect,” while India’s foreign ministry stated that it would take effect at 5 p.m. Indian time (1130 GMT).
“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. Congratulations to both countries on using common sense and great intelligence,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The sudden announcement came amid heightened fears that the countries’ nuclear arsenals could come into play. Pakistan’s military had stated that a top military and civilian body overseeing its nuclear weapons would meet. However, Pakistan’s defense minister later clarified that no such meeting was scheduled.
Despite the tensions, officials from both sides expressed a willingness to de-escalate following the day’s exchanges, as the combined civilian death toll rose to 66.
“Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect,” Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar posted on X.
India’s foreign ministry reported that the head of Pakistan’s military operations called his Indian counterpart on Saturday afternoon, and both agreed to halt all firing. The two officials are expected to speak again on May 12, the ministry added.
The conflict began on Wednesday when India launched strikes on what it described as “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistani Kashmir and Pakistan proper. This followed an attack two weeks earlier that killed 26 Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir. Pakistan has denied India’s accusations of involvement in the attack. Since Wednesday, both sides have engaged in cross-border fire and shelling and have deployed drones and missiles into each other’s airspace. (Reuters)
