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It was India, not Pakistan, which sought ceasefire: Dar

News Desk
Friday, May 16, 2025

KARACHI: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke on Thursday of the extraordinary developments that led to a ceasefire between India and Pakistan on May 10 and took the people of India, particularly its warmongering media, by surprise.

Speaking to Shahzeb Khanzada, host of Geo News progaramme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, Dar emphasized that it was India, not Pakistan, which sought a ceasefire during last week’s escalation.

He said the army chiefs of both Pakistan and India got in touch on May 10, then on May 12 and then they decided on May 14 being the next date of contact. Now they will exchange notes on May 18, he added.

“There’s clarity on both sides that the ceasefire has virtually come about, and it will stay. Now both these professionals, the directors-general of military operations [DGMOs] will be phasing out their armies to take the situation back to peace time.”

Dar said the DGMOs will be monitoring the process and ensuring that it keeps moving forward as the short phases lasting three or four days each take place until things are back to normal.

“Meanwhile, bilateral talks — or maybe with the participation of a mediator — will be held. I was earlier listening to Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s statement. According to the Simla Agreement, Pakistan and India would resolve all their problems bilaterally, without accepting the interference of a third party.”

He said Pakistan and India both have signed the agreement. “There has never been any problem at our end. We have seen many rounds -- Kargil, before that, after that. And India has always insisted on holding bilateral talks. Today’s statement also indirectly refers to the Simla Agreement, as India seeks bilateral talks.”

Dar said that when the ceasefire had occurred, it was decided that the meeting between both countries would be held on neutral ground. It is yet to be decided where that neutral ground will be, he added.

He said that over the next eight to 10 days the Indian military would hopefully be de-escalating and de-mobilising, and returning soldiers to their peace points.

“After that it would be time to hold a dialogue. The world is such a big place. Both countries will be able to decide on a common place to meet. I don’t see that being a difficult thing. Then whatever venue in whichever country is decided, both sides will meet there.”

He said India has stressed on talking about only terrorism. “We’ve always held composite dialogues. As for terrorism, Pakistan also wants an end to terrorism. Pakistan’s fundamental policy is to condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and it’s part of record globally,” he pointed out.

“And on the subject of mutual advice and cooperation for eradicating terrorism, we’ve fought the war against terrorism for the entire world, with 90,000 of our people having been martyred, and bearing losses to the tune of $150 billion. We saved the world from terrorism, which otherwise would have spread widely.”

Dar said India is talking about terrorism, but when a dialogue is held, everything will be up for discussion, like the unlawful action concerning the Indus Waters Treaty.

“We’ve responded to their letter about holding the treaty in abeyance they sent on April 24. We’ve told them that the treaty can’t be held in abeyance by them or us. The agreement under international law is binding on both countries, and neither party can break it, unless both sides agree on something.”

Regarding the Pahalgam attack, he said that within five minutes of the incident, the Indian media created a hype to give the impression that they have all the witnesses and evidences pointing towards Pakistan’s involvement, and the entire Indian media sold this narrative to the world after April 22.

In the next phase, during the night between May 6 and May 7, they brought 75 to 80 of their fighter jets against Pakistan at any given time, and Pakistan responded in a befitting manner, he added.

“I had more than 50 phone calls with different foreign ministers and deputy PMs before May 6, and they all requested and insisted that both sides exercise restraint. We said we would demonstrate patience, exercise full restraint and not take the first escalatory move. And we honoured our word,” he stressed.

“In the early hours of May 7, the war they fought with us in the skies, they had asked for it, as we didn’t start it. And our air force was instructed to target only those jets that cross into our air space, and those that fire ammunition and payload from their air space.”

He said India had fired 24 payloads at six locations in Pakistan — four in Punjab and two in Azad Kashmir — and six of their jets were shot down — three Rafales, two MiG-29s and one Su-30 — along with one UAV.

“Then we relaxed. Allah helped us defeat them. And then they raised a commotion within the next 48 hours, claiming that we had attacked 15 locations within a night, but we had not attacked even a single place.”

Dar said he contacted the international community, explained Pakistan’s position and told them that India was making false claims.

The deputy PM said that later on he said to a couple of countries that they had technology, and if Pakistan had really gone inside India, it would have left the technology traces. He said he asked them to ascertain if Indian had really spoken the truth.

He shared that a P5 country, which is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, took time out and told him after checking things that Pakistan had not attacked any of the 15 locations mentioned by India.

The following day, Dar said, India alleged that it had shot down an F16 after it carried out an attack. He said Pakistan denied using any F16, and relevant American authorities also confirmed that no F16 had flown or fallen. He said this was the false narrative India had been using against Pakistan.

Afterwards, Indian started firing missiles, with three falling in Amritsar and one shot down. Then, Indian sent 29 drones in 24 hours, followed by 51 drones the next day. Dar said Pakistan finally ran out of patience when on the night of May 9 India attacked the Nur Khan and Shorkot bases, and Rahim Yar Khan and Sukkur airports.

In reply to a question at what point US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured him that Indian wanted to cease fire, Dar said Rubio called him at 8:15am on May 10 and told him that India was ready and willing to stop war if Pakistan was willing to stop it. He said he told the US secretary of state that Pakistan did not start it and was ready for a ceasefire. He told him Pakistan wants this region to live in peace and it responded only after it had run out of patience. After the first round, Pakistan demonstrated restraint, and the entire world saw that India was lying.

Rubio said he would talk to J. Shankar again and India would confirm it they wanted a ceasefire. Dar told Rubio that after their call he would informed the armed forces about their conversation. He assured him that Pakistan would deliver on its words.

The deputy PM said that within an hour he received a call from Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, who asked it the ceasefire decision was confirmed he would also talk to Jaishankar. Dar said he asked the Saudi foreign minister to go ahead and make the call.

Dar said Prince Faisal might even not have returned to Riyadh when India started the attack on the Nur Khan and Shorkot bases.

Dar said Prince Faisal did not stop his peace efforts even then, and after talking to Jaishankar, he called Pakistan within half an hour after which it was decided that at 12 noon, the hotline of military operations of Pakistan and India will be activated so that talks could resume. However, India did not activate the hotline at 12 noon and said it needed more time. Finally, the hotline was activated between 3pm and 4pm, after which the ceasefire was announced at 4:30pm. Dar said the ceasefire was in place now and both the armies would retreat to a certain point.

When Khanzada asked if Modi’s claim was wrong that the ceasefire took place on the request of Pakistani DGMO, Dar said the Indian government was under pressure from the Indian media.

Dar said the difference between the Pulwama and Pahalgam incidents was that India was able to sell its narrative after the Pulwama incident and convinced the international community that Pakistan was the culprit. He added that the real purpose of the Pulwama incident was revealed on August 5, 2020, when India revoked the special status of Kashmir and declared the illegally occupied region as its union territory.

Dar said after the Pahalgam incident, Pakistan went proactive and offered an international investigation after the Pahalgam attack, the world realised the truth. He said Pakistan briefed around 100 foreign diplomats in the country about the situation and around 60 foreign ministers or deputy prime ministers of foreign countries were directly contacted along with army chiefs of other countries to explain the situation.

Dar said Pakistan will never let its territorial integrity be compromised. He added that the Indian dream of hegemony in the region had now been buried.