Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar announced that the militaries of India and Pakistan have agreed to extend last week’s ceasefire until Sunday, May 18. Addressing the Senate on Thursday, he said the extension paves the way for renewed political dialogue.
“Now it [ceasefire] has been extended till [May] 18, so obviously, now ultimately, things will go to dialogue,” Dar said. “For now, these are military-to-military communications, so obviously, then political dialogue will take place. The resolution of all issues lies there.”
Dar firmly stated that Pakistan did not request a ceasefire. He clarified that the first call regarding a ceasefire came from the US Secretary of State, who conveyed that India sought a truce. Pakistan, he said, expressed willingness only after receiving similar calls from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and China.
“We were already in contact with friendly nations before the conflict escalated,” he said. “We informed them of our restraint and made it clear that while we would not initiate hostilities, any aggression from India would be met with a strong response,” he added.
Dar further highlighted the role of Indian media in immediately blaming Pakistan for the recent Pahalgam incident, drawing parallels with the Pulwama attack.
The DPM criticised India for once again failing to provide any credible evidence. “This time, we did not let India’s narrative go unchallenged,” he said. “We resolved to respond decisively, and the Prime Minister even offered a transparent investigation, which India rejected without presenting any proof,” he added.
Referring to the events of May 7, Dar said that 70 to 80 Indian fighter jets entered Pakistani airspace and dropped 24 payloads. “These bombs did not target militants but fell on mosques and innocent civilians,” he noted. “In response, Pakistan shot down five Indian aircraft. Not a single one of our jets was destroyed.”
He said, India is targeting Sikh areas with false flag operations to incite the community against Pakistan. “They spread lies, claiming our F-16s were used. However, the US confirmed that no F-16 was flown or downed,” he added.
He said, India launched 29 drones in the first 24 hours of hostilities and 80 more the next day. “Only one drone managed to strike a military zone, injuring four soldiers. Multiple airbases and airports were attacked simultaneously, and we responded decisively,” he said.
Dar further said, “We made it clear: when we retaliate, we will not do it covertly. We released videos of our strikes and engaged with around 60 foreign ministers, reiterating our stance — we would never initiate aggression but would always respond if attacked. The world saw our commitment to peace.”
He noted that The Telegraph praised the professionalism of the Pakistani military. He also addressed India’s actions in Kashmir, asserting that Pakistan would raise the matter in any future negotiations. “India’s attempt to annex Kashmir and its violations of the Indus Waters Treaty are critical issues,” he said.
“Even World Bank President Ajay Banga has confirmed that India neither has the right to suspend nor abrogate the treaty. For us, this is a no-go area. We had announced it on April 24 as well that it [treaty suspension] will be treated as an act of war,” he added.
Dar claimed that India suffered economic losses of at least $3 billion, while Pakistan faced tragic civilian casualties. “We did not attack any civilian infrastructure,” he stressed. “Our martyrs include mostly women, children, and the elderly — a heavy price we paid in the face of aggression,” he maintained.
Meanwhile, Indian foreign minister reiterated that the treaty with Pakistan would remain suspended until Islamabad ends “cross-border terrorism.”
During a visit to troops at a base in Qatar as part of his Middle East tour, US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about the ceasefire and the possibility of lasting peace between the two countries.
“And Pakistan was very happy with that [ceasefire] and India was very happy with that and I think they’re on the way,” he said. “We got that settled where everybody was very happy. I’ll tell you that it looked like it was really going to be escalating out of control,” he added.
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