Pakistan military says did not request ceasefire amid military confrontation with India

Pakistan military says did not request ceasefire amid military confrontation with India
Military's spokesperson, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, on May 11, 2025. (Screengrab/PTV News)
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Updated 12 May 2025
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Pakistan military says did not request ceasefire amid military confrontation with India

Pakistan military says did not request ceasefire amid military confrontation with India
  • Four days of fighting, the worst conflict between the neighbors since 1999, has killed nearly 70 people on both sides
  • Pakistan military spokesperson clarifies no Indian pilot in custody, denies New Delhi’s accusations of violating ceasefire

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said Islamabad did not request a ceasefire with New Delhi when the two nuclear-armed neighbors clashed in the worst fighting between them in decades last week, alleging that New Delhi had called for it after launching missile strikes in Pakistan.

Tensions between India and Pakistan over an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir escalated last Wednesday, when India struck multiple Pakistani cities with missiles, quickly followed by what Islamabad said was the downing of five Indian fighter jets.

Both neighbors continued to attack the other’s territory with fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery until Saturday evening, when US President Donald Trump announced a surprise ceasefire that has largely held, except for a few alleged violations in Kashmir.

“Let me put it on record, Pakistan never requested a ceasefire,” Chaudhry told reporters on Sunday night in a press briefing. “On the night of May 6 and 7, after those dastardly and cowardly attacks were made, Indians requested [a ceasefire] and Pakistan gave a very clear response, that we will communicate back only after we have given the response that this act deserves,” he added. 

Providing operational details of the conflict, Chaudhry said Pakistan struck 26 Indian military facilities while dozens of its drones hovered over major Indian cities, including New Delhi, during Islamabad’s counter-offensive against India.

“Pakistan’s military response has been precise, proportionate and still remarkably restrained,” Chaudhry said, sharing details of ‘Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos,’ which translates to “a structure made of lead” in Arabic. 

“It was carefully calibrated to avoid civilian casualties, and it exclusively targeted those entities and facilities which were directly involved in orchestrating and executing cold-blooded killings of Pakistani civilians,” the military spokesperson said. 

Chaudhry added that Pakistani forces’ synergy across air, land, sea and cyber domains allowed for precision engagements, overwhelming lethality and rapid tempo operations.

“Precision-guided long-range missiles— Fatah-1 and Fatah-2— were employed by the Pakistan Army, while the Pakistan Air Force utilized highly capable long-range munitions and precision-guided weaponry,” he explained. “Long-range artillery units also contributed significantly to the strike package.” 

He said critical sites hit by Pakistani armed forces included Indian Air Force and aviation bases at Suratgarh, Sirsa, Poonch, Naliya, Adampur, Bathinda, Barnala, Halwara, Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Udhampur, Mamoon, Ambala, and Pathankot. He said all these sites suffered significant damage. 

“S-400 missile systems at Adampur and Poonch were also neutralized by the Pakistan Air Force,” Chaudhry said. 

The military spokesperson said Pakistan’s armed forces also carried out comprehensive and effective cyber offensives, temporarily crippling and degrading critical Indian military infrastructure and services,

“These cyber strikes targeted systems directly supporting Indian military operations and were designed to disrupt their warfighting capabilities without affecting civilian platforms,” he added.

‘SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER’

In response to a question, the military spokesperson confirmed that no Indian pilot was in Pakistan Army’s custody following military clashes.

“I can confirm you that we do not have any pilot in custody, this is all social media chatter, this is all part of multiple sources of fake news and propaganda,” he said. 

 

 

Four days of fighting, the worst conflict between the neighbors since 1999, has killed nearly 70 people on both sides, with some residents of border villages still waiting to return to their homes.

Diplomacy and pressure from the United States helped secure the ceasefire deal when it seemed the conflict was spiraling alarmingly. But within hours of its coming into force, artillery fire was witnessed in Kashmir, which has been divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both.

A top Indian army officer said on Sunday the Indian military had sent a “hotline message” to Pakistan about violations of a ceasefire agreed this week and informed it of New Delhi’s intent to respond if it was repeated.
“Sometimes, these understandings take time to fructify, manifest on the ground,” Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, India’s director-general of military operations, told a media briefing, referring to the truce. “The [Indian] armed forces were on a very, very high alert [on Saturday] and continue to be in that state.”

Chaudhry denied any ceasefire violations by Pakistan, saying the country is upholding its commitment to refrain from acts of aggression. 

“I can say with 200 percent conviction that we have not done any ceasefire violation,” he said. 

Hostilities between the two neighbors were triggered by an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam resort town that killed 26 tourists on April 22. India accused Pakistan of backing the assault, Islamabad has denied it and called for a credible, international probe.

The Pakistani military spokesman said Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos had been a “great example” of coming together of all elements of Pakistan’s national power to effectively counter the threat to national sovereignty and integrity, warning of a similar response to any such attempt in the future.

“No one should have any doubt that whenever our sovereignty would be threatened and territorial integrity violated, the response would be comprehensive, retributive and decisive,” he said.

The military spokesperson emphasized that the idea of war between two nuclear-armed neighbors was absurd and inconceivable.

Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations and have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir, since gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1947.

On Sunday, Trump said he would try to work with both India and Pakistan to see if they can resolve their dispute over the Kashmir territory, vowing to “substantially” increase trade with both nations.

“While not even discussed, I am going to increase trade, substantially, with both of these great Nations,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, referring to India and Pakistan.

“Additionally, I will work with you both to see if, after a ‘thousand years,’ a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir,” he added.


Pakistani province offers to help build cancer hospital in Afghanistan

Pakistani province offers to help build cancer hospital in Afghanistan
Updated 12 July 2025
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Pakistani province offers to help build cancer hospital in Afghanistan

Pakistani province offers to help build cancer hospital in Afghanistan
  • Ali Amin Gandapur tells Afghan envoy his administration is ready to support the welfare of the Afghan people
  • KP chief minister says he wants to send a delegation to the neighboring state to ‘promote trust and harmony’

ISLAMABAD: The provincial administration of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Saturday offered assistance to build a cancer hospital in neighboring Afghanistan during a meeting between Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Afghan envoy to Pakistan, Sardar Ahmad Shakib.

KP shares a long and porous border with Afghanistan and maintains strong cultural and linguistic ties with Pashtun populations across the frontier.

The province has also experienced a major surge in militant violence in recent months, with Pakistani officials frequently accusing armed groups based in Afghanistan of orchestrating cross-border attacks, a claim the Taliban government in Kabul denies.

“Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur held an important meeting with Afghanistan’s Ambassador Sardar Ahmad Shakib, during which bilateral relations, mutual cooperation and regional stability were discussed in detail,” the KP administration said in a statement.

“Gandapur offered assistance in establishing a cancer hospital in Afghanistan and assured full support in the agricultural sector [to Kabul] as well,” it added. “He expressed his commitment that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is ready to play every possible role in the welfare of the Afghan people.”

Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan became strained in 2023 when Islamabad launched a major crackdown on undocumented migrants, most of them Afghans, citing security concerns.

While Pakistan’s federal administration and military adopted a tough posture toward Kabul, it was widely reported in the local media that the KP government wanted diplomatic engagement with Afghan Taliban, signaling an interest in negotiated cooperation.

The two sides have recently sought to reset relations and agreed to appoint ambassadors following a China-facilitated tripartite meeting this year.

Saturday’s discussion also emphasized the deep cultural and ethnic links between the two countries, with both sides agreeing that these bonds should be strengthened through mutual respect and cooperation.

The statement said Gandapur plans to send a special delegation to Afghanistan “to serve as a bridge between the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan and to promote trust and harmony.”

Ambassador Shakib expressed appreciation for the KP government’s support for Afghan refugees and reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing bilateral ties through peaceful and people-centric initiatives.


Pakistan’s climate minister orders action over black bear killing in northern region

Pakistan’s climate minister orders action over black bear killing in northern region
Updated 12 July 2025
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Pakistan’s climate minister orders action over black bear killing in northern region

Pakistan’s climate minister orders action over black bear killing in northern region
  • Video of the incident shows men pushing an unconscious bear down a rocky slope
  • Dr. Musadik Malik calls such acts of violence against wildlife ‘utterly unacceptable’

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Climate Change Dr. Musadik Malik on Saturday ordered strict action against a group of people who killed a black bear in the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan, according to an official statement, saying such brutality cannot be overlooked under any circumstances.

A video of the incident circulating on social media shows three individuals pushing the unconscious bear down a rocky mountainside. Authorities have already lodged a police complaint and are working with the local community to ensure the accused are brought to justice.

“Such acts of violence against wildlife are utterly unacceptable and will not be allowed to continue under any circumstances,” an official statement quoted Malik as saying.

This screengrab from a viral video shows a Himalayan black bear being thrown off a cliff after reportedly being tortured and killed in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. (APP/Screengrab)

It added he had “directed the Wildlife Management Boards to take strict and immediate action against those responsible.”

The minister also stressed his commitment to protecting Pakistan’s wildlife and enforcing conservation laws across all regions, adding that community engagement was critical to prevent such incidents.

Acts of animal cruelty are not rare in Pakistan. In June 2024, a landlord in Sanghar district, Sindh, ordered the brutal amputation of a camel’s leg for straying into his fields. Days later, another mutilated camel was found dead in the region with its legs amputated.

Animal rights activists have also condemned practices like bear dancing, where the animals are trained by being forced to stand on hot metal plates, and bear baiting, a blood sport in which the chained bear is attacked by dogs for public spectacle.

Though officially banned, both practices have been reported in parts of the country over the years.


Pakistan PM defends tough structural reforms, says country can’t afford ‘business as usual’

Pakistan PM defends tough structural reforms, says country can’t afford ‘business as usual’
Updated 12 July 2025
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Pakistan PM defends tough structural reforms, says country can’t afford ‘business as usual’

Pakistan PM defends tough structural reforms, says country can’t afford ‘business as usual’
  • Shehbaz Sharif describes Pakistan’s economic stabilization efforts as ‘a long and thorny journey’
  • He says merit is central to his governance model as his administration works to fix the economy

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday strongly defended his government’s structural reform agenda, particularly in tax administration, saying that difficult and often unpopular decisions were necessary to rebuild national institutions, as the country could no longer afford “business as usual.”

Speaking at an orientation session for participants of the Uraan Pakistan youth program, Sharif recalled the fragile economic conditions he inherited after assuming power following last year’s general elections.

He noted that Pakistan had narrowly avoided a sovereign default in mid-2023, when inflation surged to nearly 38 percent, before securing a critical bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The prime minister said his administration took on the “onerous task” of stabilizing the economy under immense pressure, choosing to pursue long-delayed reforms rather than temporary fixes.

“Pakistan had to undertake these long-overdue, deep structural changes if we had to find our lost place in the comity of nations through hard and untiring efforts,” he said.

Sharif pointed to a set of key reforms aligned with IMF recommendations, including the digitization of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

He noted the transition from paper-based tax systems to digital and AI-led processes was already bearing fruit.

“Faceless interactions — these terminologies were unknown in FBR,” he said, adding that one previously underperforming sector saw its tax contribution rise from Rs12 billion to over Rs50 billion within a year due to improved enforcement.

The prime minister said his administration had prioritized accountability, removing senior FBR officials accused of corruption and resisting political pressure in doing so.

“It’s a long and thorny journey,” he continued. “We are facing bumps on the way and mountain-like impediments. But I can assure you, we will not shy away from discharging our responsibility.”

Sharif maintained that merit would remain the cornerstone of his governance model.

“Delivery is the name of the game,” he said. “Performance is the name of the game.”


Pakistan won’t send hockey teams to India — official sources

Pakistan won’t send hockey teams to India — official sources
Updated 12 July 2025
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Pakistan won’t send hockey teams to India — official sources

Pakistan won’t send hockey teams to India — official sources
  • The two nuclear-armed states had a four-day military standoff in May that left 70 people dead
  • Pakistan’s refusal to participate in the Asia Cup can cost the team a place in next year’s World Cup

KARACHI: Pakistan will not travel to India for upcoming hockey tournaments over “security” concerns, government sources told AFP on Saturday, potentially jeopardizing their place in next year’s World Cup.

The nuclear-armed neighbors traded the worst violence in decades during a four-day conflict in May that killed 70 people.

Pakistan was due to participate in the Men’s Asia Cup for field hockey to be hosted by India in August and September, for which the federation had sought the government’s clearance.

“After the recent war the security and safety of our hockey players will be at risk,” said a sports ministry source, who asked not to be identified.

Pakistan will also not participate in the Junior World Cup in India in November, the source said.

Once a force in international hockey, with three Olympic gold medals and four world titles, Pakistan has slumped to 15th in the rankings.

Not featuring in the Asia Cup will likely cost Pakistan a place in next year’s senior World Cup to be held in the Netherlands and Belgium.

A second government source also confirmed the decision to AFP.

Pakistan’s foreign office has not responded to AFP’s request for comment.

India stalled all bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which it blamed on militants based across the border.

Cricket has been the most affected sport, with the two countries only meeting each other in multinational events abroad.

India refused to visit Pakistan this year when it hosted the Champions Trophy, forcing the final to be staged on neutral ground in Dubai.

In a tit-for-tat move, Pakistan will also not send its women’s cricket team to India for the 50-over World Cup later this year and the T20 World Cup in 2026.

They agreed instead to play their matches in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan’s hockey team last toured India for the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy, finishing fifth among six teams.


Pakistan seeks closer security ties with Bahrain to curb drugs, human smuggling

Pakistan seeks closer security ties with Bahrain to curb drugs, human smuggling
Updated 12 July 2025
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Pakistan seeks closer security ties with Bahrain to curb drugs, human smuggling

Pakistan seeks closer security ties with Bahrain to curb drugs, human smuggling
  • Both countries share a longstanding partnership spanning diplomacy, security and people-to-people ties
  • Mohsin Naqvi emphasizes enhanced cooperation in counterterrorism during his visit to the Gulf country

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday called for deeper cooperation with Bahrain to combat narcotics trafficking and human smuggling, as both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral security ties during his official visit to the Gulf state.

Pakistan and Bahrain share a longstanding relationship encompassing diplomacy, security, economic exchange and people-to-people links. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1971, the two nations have developed close political and military cooperation, including defense training, joint security initiatives and regular high-level engagements.

In recent years, with rising concerns over drug trafficking and human smuggling, both countries have intensified efforts to coordinate through formal channels to facilitate intelligence sharing and law enforcement collaboration.

“Enhanced cooperation between the interior ministries of Pakistan and Bahrain to counter narcotics and human smuggling is the need of the hour,” Naqvi said, according to an official statement issued after his meeting with his Bahraini counterpart, General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.

The ministers discussed issues of mutual interest and emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation in counterterrorism.

The discussion also emphasized the need to enhance the effectiveness of the Pakistan–Bahrain Joint Security Committee, a formal mechanism for coordinating on counterterrorism and related issues, while exploring ways to jointly address broader regional and global security challenges.

Bahrain’s interior minister welcomed the visit as an opportunity to deepen existing ties, describing the security cooperation and coordination between the two countries as “valued and constructive.”

He also expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s continued engagement across a range of sectors, with particular emphasis on security.