Foreign journalist reveals how Pakistan’s retaliation forced India into ceasefire talks

ISLAMABAD: CNN’s International Diplomatic Editor Nick Robertson has reported detailed insights into how a recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan came into effect, following an intense military escalation and back-channel diplomatic efforts.

According to Robertson, who cited a source present during the key negotiations, the ceasefire had been in the works for nearly 48 hours. Pakistan had reportedly paused its military actions during that period to allow diplomacy to sustain. However, that window was abruptly closed when India launched strikes early in the morning on three Pakistani airbases, one of them near the capital.

Robertson’s source stated that Pakistan responded with what was described as a “relentless and massive barrage” of missiles and rockets, hitting Indian airbases, military installations, and weapons depots inside India, as well as sites along the disputed Line of Control in Kashmir.

From Pakistan’s perspective, communication with Secretary Rubio during this period played a key role in shaping the response and the subsequent pressure on India. Robertson reported that Pakistan believed the scale and speed of its retaliation put India on the back foot, pushing New Delhi to seek a diplomatic exit.

India, according to the Pakistani account, reached out to Rubio, along with the Saudis and the Turks, to help facilitate a ceasefire. Despite earlier commitments from India to pause further aggression, Pakistani sources claim that rocket fire continued throughout the day.

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Robertson noted that only in the final hours before the ceasefire was officially acknowledged did diplomacy manage to halt further escalation.

However, he emphasised that Pakistan’s core concern moving forward remains access to water. India is said to have blocked water flows from three rivers originating in Kashmir.

A source told Robertson, “This is a ceasefire. Everything works out from there,” indicating that negotiations over water and other critical issues are expected to follow.

Summing up the mood on both sides, Robertson highlighted that both nations had been “up all night” in tense deliberations and added, “It was now or never… it would have just spiraled into something much worse.”