India and Pakistan agree to immediate ceasefire through U.S. mediation
India and Pakistan have ended the fighting they have been waging since this week at several points along their shared border and have agreed to a ceasefire, both countries confirmed. However, several explosions heard in the Indian-administered region of Kashmir just hours after the truce was announced appear to threaten the ceasefire's success.
"After a long night of U.S.-mediated talks, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire," U.S. President Donald Trump wrote Saturday on his Truth Social network, the first to announce the agreement
"Congratulations to both countries for using common sense and the great intelligence they have demonstrated," added the White House resident, whose diplomacy has mediated the ceasefire
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his gratitude for the United States' "proactive role" in negotiating the agreement, noting that "Pakistan believes this marks a new beginning in resolving the problems that have plagued the region and impeded its progress toward peace, prosperity, and stability."
"The entire Pakistani nation has triumphed. We have won. This is a victory," Sharif declared in a televised address to the nation tonight, referring to the agreement, although he also noted that "we will do everything possible to defend ourselves."
The news of the end of hostilities was confirmed by Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who stated that his country "has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising its sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Minutes later, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri issued a similar statement, confirming that both sides had agreed to cease all military operations "on land, in the air, and at sea" that they had been conducting. But the latest explosions in Kashmir and the Indian-administered city of Srinagar have called into question the solidity of the ceasefire. Just hours after the agreement was announced, New Delhi accused Islamabad of violating the truce.
"In the last few hours, there have been repeated violations of the understanding reached this evening. This constitutes a violation of the agreement reached today," Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said at a brief evening press conference in India. According to Misri, the Indian armed forces are "giving an appropriate response" and called on Pakistan "to address these violations."
But shortly afterward, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said it remained "committed to the ceasefire, despite violations by India in some areas."
A respite from tension in Kashmir and elsewhere
The ceasefire announcement came just as the conflict, which erupted last Tuesday, appeared to be escalating rapidly.
Early Saturday, Pakistani officials said they had destroyed some of the airbases from which India launched a series of attacks on their territory in retaliation for a deadly attack last month on Indian tourists in Pahalgam, in the disputed region of Kashmir.
"Today we have given India a worthy response and avenged the bloodshed of innocent lives," Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement to the media. Since early this morning, explosions have been reported in several parts of Indian-controlled Kashmir, not only at military installations but also in civilian areas.
"There was smoke everywhere, we couldn't see anything, my mother was barefoot and her feet started burning because of what was on the ground," one villager told the BBC. For its part, New Delhi authorities denied that any of its military installations had been affected and asserted that they had intercepted the drones and long-range missiles launched by Pakistan.
"All hostile actions have been effectively countered and responded to appropriately," said Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, an Indian army spokeswoman. However, the Indian side reported that between Friday night and Saturday morning, they detected troop movements from their neighbor, which they described as preparations for an "offensive" aimed at "aggravating the situation."
The Pakistani prime minister's decision to convene the National Command Authority (NCA), the body responsible for the country's nuclear arsenal, appeared to signal an escalation of the conflict.
India attacked numerous military positions in its neighboring country, with which it has fought three wars since gaining independence from Great Britain in 1947, because it believed the terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack were sheltering in its territory. This version is denied by the government in Islamabad.
Ongoing talks between India and Pakistan
The ceasefire wasn't the only thing India and Pakistan agreed to. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also announced that representatives from both countries would hold talks on a wide range of issues in a neutral forum. The location and date of these talks are unknown, but Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that representatives from both countries will hold talks again on Monday.
Rubio revealed that he and US Vice President JD Vance spent the last 48 hours speaking with senior Indian and Pakistani officials, including Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif of India and Pakistan, respectively. This week's clashes have left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead. Minutes after the announcement, the Pakistani government announced it had lifted all restrictions it had imposed on civil aviation.