Nawaz Sharif after ceasefire: 'Pakistan prefers peace, but knows how to defend itself'

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar officially informed the nation of the ceasefire agreement.

Former three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said Pakistan is a “peace-loving” country but also “knows how to defend itself.” His comments came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire.

Reacting to the development, Sharif took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating:

“Pakistan is a peace-loving country and prefers peace, but also knows how to defend itself.”

Sharif, who is also the chief of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party, congratulated the civil and military leadership for their role in the development.

“Thanks be to Allah Almighty for making Pakistan proud. I congratulate the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif, the Chief of Army Staff, General Syed Asim Munir, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Sindhu, and the armed forces of Pakistan,” he said.

Former foreign minister and Pakistan People’s Party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also welcomed the ceasefire, saying Pakistan has consistently pursued diplomacy over conflict.

“War, violence, and aggression are never the answer. Now that both India and Pakistan have agreed to a ceasefire & dialogue, we welcome this as a victory for diplomacy. We appreciate the role of the USA, KSA, and all countries involved in achieving this historic milestone,” he said in a post on X.

“As a Pakistani, I could not be more proud of our people, our army, and especially our Air Force,” Bhutto added.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Gohar Ali Khan said it was good to see peace return to the region and praised Pakistan’s response to the situation.

“Our response forced India to come up with the white flag (peace),” he said during an appearance on Geo News.

Maryam Nawaz, the Chief Minister of Punjab province, also weighed in on X, writing:

“Prime Minister Shehbaz, Army Chief General Munir, Pakistan Armed Forces, and my father, Nawaz Sharif, have made the nation proud and shown the world that Pakistan is in safe and patriotic hands.”

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar officially informed the nation of the ceasefire agreement.

“Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect. Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity!” Dar posted on X.

(With inputs from PTI)