Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday that Pakistan had desired peace in the region for the betterment of its people and economy.
Expressing his thoughts in Islamabad, Dar said Pakistan did not initiate the tensions with India, and friendly countries were attempting to reduce the hostilities between the two nations. He said: "India had told friendly nations that Pakistan attacked 15 military installations."
"However, Pakistan clarified to various countries that it did not launch any attacks. A European country confirmed that Pakistan did not carry out any strike and stated, "You are right, Pakistan did not attack," he said.
The foreign minister said that India had failed to provide any evidence regarding the Pahalgam attack to this day. He said India's intentions were different, and it used the Pulwama incident as a pretext. India claimed it shot down a Pakistani F-16 aircraft, but an official statement the following day confirmed that no F-16 had flown or been destroyed.
Dar added that India sent 70 to 80 fighter jets towards Pakistan, and Pakistan did not respond until Indian aircraft launched an attack. Six Indian jets took part in the operation, and the same six jets were brought down.
The foreign minister said the ceasefire contact process was continuing successfully. It was not limited to a truce but involved the formulation of a long-term strategy.
Dar said that at 8:15 am on May 10, he received a phone call from United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who informed him that India was ready for a ceasefire. Dar reiterated that Pakistan did not initiate the conflict and that Islamic principles also oppose initiating war.
He added that Pakistan had taken 14 members of the UN Security Council into confidence and reminded them that Pakistan had made significant sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. He stated that Pakistan had been the most affected by terrorism and possessed evidence that linked terrorist networks to India.
Dar said that he had spoken several times with his Chinese counterpart during the entire situation. He said if Pakistan had been at fault, it would not have offered transparent investigations into Pulwama. Last week, ambassadors from China, Afghanistan and Pakistan held a meeting. China was also planning a bilateral visit to Pakistan, alongside a scheduled trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting.
