U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday announced that India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and the initiation of formal dialogue on key bilateral issues.
Rubio said the agreement came after 48 hours of intensive diplomacy involving senior officials from both countries, including Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir, and National Security Advisors Ajit Doval and Asim Malik.
“I am pleased to announce the Governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site,” Secretary Rubio said in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
“We commend Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif for their wisdom, prudence, and statesmanship in choosing the path of peace,” he added.
This announcement follows earlier confirmation by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who stated that both sides had agreed to cease hostilities immediately. Former U.S. President Donald Trump had also posted online that overnight U.S.-mediated talks had successfully led to a ceasefire.
The truce comes after days of intensified military exchanges, including Pakistan's high-speed missile strikes on 26 Indian military installations, severely damaging airbases in Pathankot, Udhampur, Bhuj, and Adam Port. The Indian Army had admitted to “significant human and material losses” and announced a strategic pullback to avoid further escalation.
A senior Indian administrative officer, Raj Kumar Thapa, was killed during a Pakistani strike in Rajouri, while Pakistani sources reported damage from retaliatory fire along the LoC.
