ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has strongly denied claims circulating in Indian media that the country requested a ceasefire following the recent escalation in tensions with India.
Responding late Friday, the Foreign Office issued a firm statement rejecting the narrative, clarifying that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar never said Pakistan asked for a ceasefire.
“There is no truth to these claims,” the spokesperson said. “In every interview and public statement, the Deputy Prime Minister has clearly explained that Pakistan responded firmly and decisively to Indian aggression — exercising its right to self-defence.”
According to the Foreign Office, the ceasefire came about not through a request from Pakistan, but through the mediation of friendly countries — especially the United States and Saudi Arabia — who stepped in to help lower the temperature on both sides.
Giving a timeline of events, the spokesperson recalled that around 8:15 a.m. on May 10, 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted Senator Ishaq Dar and conveyed that India was ready to halt hostilities if Pakistan agreed. Dar responded by confirming Pakistan’s willingness to cease fire under those terms.
Shortly afterward, around 9:00 a.m., Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal also called Senator Dar with a similar message — relaying that India was open to a ceasefire and asking for Pakistan’s agreement, which had already been communicated to the U.S.
The spokesperson emphasized that these events make it clear: Pakistan didn’t request a ceasefire. It responded to international efforts to prevent further escalation — efforts that were driven by allies, not initiated by Islamabad.
“The facts speak for themselves,” the statement concluded. “Pakistan acted responsibly, not out of weakness but in the interest of regional stability — and only after our friends helped open the door for diplomacy.”
