Shehbaz Sharif calls ceasefire deal with India a victory for Pakistan

In a passionate speech filled with exaggeration and patriotic enthusiasm, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday proclaimed the ceasefire agreement with India a “historic triumph” for his country, commending his military’s “skilled and efficient” reaction to what he termed as Indian hostility. He further charged India with utilizing the April 22 Pahlagam assault as a “pretext” to initiate an attack on the country.

The address, rich in symbolism and patriotic fervor, was delivered mere hours after India and Pakistan reached a consensus to cease all military operations across land, air, and sea after several days of heightened cross-border tensions.

“Our operation was against hatred, aggression and religious fanaticism. This is a victory of our principles and respect. We did that with an enemy that suits an honourable nation. This is a victory not just for the armed forces, but for the whole nation,” he said.

Sharif’s televised remarks portrayed the ceasefire not as a diplomatic understanding initiated by Islamabad, but as the result of Pakistan’s supposed military prowess. “We decided to respond to the enemy in a language that it understands very well,” he proclaimed, hailing the deal as proof that Pakistan is a “self-respecting and upright nation”.

He praised the nation’s military for supposedly neutralizing Indian military resources, destroying airbases and ammunition storage facilities – assertions that Indian authorities have categorically rejected as falsehoods.

Nonetheless, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri mentioned that it was Pakistan’s own Director General of Military Operations who made the call to New Delhi at 3:35 pm on Saturday, asking for a ceasefire. The ceasefire was jointly accepted and took effect at 5 pm, without any concessions from India.

New Delhi has asserted that its measures were precise, limited counter-terror operations aimed at responding to unprovoked aggression from Pakistan earlier in the week.

Although Sharif’s triumphant statements suggested otherwise, the ceasefire hardly lasted. Just hours after the agreement, Pakistan reversed its position again, as explosions were reported in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir and drone activity was seen along the Line of Control.

Reports of artillery shelling came from the Akhnoor, Rajouri, and RS Pura sectors, leading India to put its forces on high alert. Indian air defense systems were deployed following several drone sightings in Rajouri and Srinagar, with four drones shot down near an Army headquarters, causing power outages and red alerts in certain regions.

During his 20-minute address, Sharif seemed resolute in changing the narrative – portraying Pakistan as the victim of an “unjustified war” supposedly initiated by India and citing the Pahalgam incident as justification.

He accused Indian forces of targeting civilians, mosques, and infrastructure, claims that India has categorically rejected as misinformation. In reality, visuals from the ground showed operational Indian airbases and untouched infrastructure, contradicting Sharif’s assertions. Furthermore, the government also said that retaliation against Pakistan was carried out in a systematic way to ensure that no Pakistani civilians were harmed in the cross-fire.

Sharif thanked Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and leaders from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, crediting them with facilitating the ceasefire. Notably, he referred to China as Pakistan’s “most reliable and trustworthy friend” and urged the global community to help resolve long-standing disputes like the Indus Waters Treaty and the Kashmir issue.