Shillong, May 10: In a dramatic and surprising development, India and Pakistan announced ceasefire on Saturday evening. The ceasefire is effective from 5 PM of Saturday.
The major announcement was made by India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who informed that Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations had called the Director General of Military Operations of India at 3:35 PM earlier on Saturday afternoon and urged to end the conflict.
“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 17:00 hrs Indian Standard Time today. Instructions have been given on both sides to give effect to this understanding. The Director Generals of Military Operations will talk again on 12th of May at 12:00 hrs,” he said at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) press briefing.
India and Pakistan have been engaged in a violent conflict for 4 days, starting May 7th, with India destroying multiple terrorist camps in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan. India has also dealt heavy blow to military installations of Pakistan Army, destroying its air defence and radar systems in multiple cities. Pakistan had also shelled many forward areas in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Punjab with heavy artillery and drone attacks, which were effectively intercepted and neutralised by Indian armed forces.
Meanwhile, minutes before India’s formal declaration of ceasefire, the US president Donal Trump had tweeted that the US had brokered the peace between India and Pakistan, and announced “FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE” between the two nations.
“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. Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he wrote on this X (formerly Twitter) handle.
The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, shed further light on the ceasefire talks, informing that he and the US Vice President JD Vance had been talking with senior officers of India and Pakistan including Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif for 48 hours before finalizing ceasefire between the two nations.
“Over the past 48 hours, @VP Vance and I have engaged with senior Indian and Pakistani officials, including Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, and National Security Advisors Ajit Doval and Asim Malik. I am pleased to announce the Governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site. We commend Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif on their wisdom, prudence, and statesmanship in choosing the path of peace,” he wrote on this X (formerly Twitter) handle.
