The brief announcement by the foreign secretary in the national capital came shortly after President Donald Trump said that India and Pakistan have agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after talks mediated by the US.
The US-brokered ceasefire came hours after the militaries of India and Pakistan attacked each other’s facilities and escalated the standoff.
Warring congratulated the country’s defence forces for bringing Pakistan to its heels just within 48 hours and said India has always maintained that it did not want any war.
“Our defence forces had only struck the terrorist training camps and killed the terrorists there,” he pointed out and said that it was Pakistan, which escalated the conflict by attacking civilian population.
The Ludhiana MP reiterated the Congress’ demand for an all-party meeting at the national level and a special session of Parliament as suggested by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
“We have supported the government and we would like to know what have been the terms and conditions of the ceasefire,” he said in a statement.
The Congress leader hoped that the government has asserted the country’s position and kept the national interest paramount while agreeing to a ceasefire.
Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, also hailed the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, calling it a positive step towards peace in the region.
“I welcome the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan. Peace along the borders is in the interest of both nations, especially for the people of Punjab which shares a 553 km border with Pakistan. Stability in these areas is not just a matter of diplomacy, but a necessity for the prosperity and safety of our border communities,” he said in a statement.
Asserting that national security cannot be compromised, Bajwa said, “India has always stood for peaceful dialogue, but terrorism and cross-border infiltration cannot be tolerated. Peace cannot come at the cost of our national security.” The Congress leader emphasized that Pakistan must take concrete steps to dismantle terror infrastructure on its soil if the peace process is to be sustained.
“While I support all efforts toward peace, it is equally important that Pakistan ensures no terror infrastructure is allowed to operate from its soil,” he said.
Highlighting the potential benefits of a peaceful border, Bajwa said, “A stable border means better lives for our farmers, traders and families living in frontier areas.” PTI CHS AS AS
