INDIA and Pakistan on Saturday reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, with immediate effect after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes that brought the two countries teetering on the edge of full scale war. The decision by India and Pakistan was first made public by US President Donald Trump in a surprise announcement in a social media post while claiming that the talks between the two sides were “mediated” by the United States after which “India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE.” Top Government sources, however, clearly said that the outcome was the result of a direct engagement between the Indian and Pakistani sides and that Islamabad agreed to it with “no pre conditions, no post conditions and no links to other issues.” In a short announcement after Trump’s remarks, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan agreed on the understanding during a call this afternoon.

 

“The Director General of Military Operations of Pakistan called the Director General of Military Operations of India at 1535 hours IST earlier today,” Misri told the media at around 6 pm. “It was agreed between them that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land and in the air and sea with effect from 1700 hours Indian Standard Time today,” he said. The Foreign Secretary said instructions have been given on both sides to give effect to the understanding and that the DGMOs of the two sides will talk again on May 12 at 1200 hours. Trump announced the understanding in a post onTruth Social.“After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE,” he said.“Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump added.

 

The understanding by India and Pakistan on stopping military actions came hours after their militaries targeted each other’s installations in a phase that marked the most severe confrontation followingIndia’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ launched on May 7 targeting nine terror sites in Pakistan and PakistanOccupied-Kashmir (PoK). Theoperationwaslaunched in a strong retaliation to Pahalgam terror attackonApril 22 in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. The India-Pakistan decision came following diplomatic overdriveby theGroupofSeven (G7) and several countries including the US and Saudi Arabia, urging both sides to deescalate the conflict. The sources cited abovesaid India’s punitive measures announced against Pakistan including putting the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following thePahalgamattackwill remain in place. India announced the measures on April 23, a day after the terror attack. Terrorismwillnot gounpunishedandIndia’sresolveon terrorism remains firm, the sources added. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said there was no decision to hold talks on any other issue at any other place. This statement came after

 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “the Governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to animmediate ceasefireand to start talksonabroad set of issues at a neutral site.” “Over the past 48 hours,Vice President Vance and I have engagedwithseniorIndianand Pakistani officials, including PrimeMinistersNarendraModi and Shehbaz Sharif, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, ChiefofArmyStaffAsimMunir, andNational SecurityAdvisors Ajit Doval and Asim Malik,” he said.PakistanForeignMinister IshaqDarwhileconfirming the ceasefire said Islamabad has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed “all efforts to de-escalate the conflict”. “We are monitoring but we welcome all efforts to de-escalate the conflict,” Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, told PTI in New York. The Pakistanimilitary’s hostilities against India by targeting civilian areas and military installations came after ‘Operation Sindoor’ was launched. India also responded to thePakistaniactions firmly.The freshmilitary offensives bythetwo sides sincelastnight marked the most severe confrontations following India’s May 7 action.