India and Pakistan have crashed the most intense fighters in decades with four days of conflict that included fighters, missiles and drones loaded with explosives. It ended almost as abruptly as it began.
New details reveal how a flood of phone calls and diplomacy finally brought a truce between the neighbors with nuclear weapons and historical enemies.
And while the accounts of India and Pakistan differ in some details, both sides agree that the advance began to come on Saturday afternoon (10).
The ceasefire between Islamabad and New Delhi, who according to Pakistani authorities had been in progress for several days, was agreed after a message was sent by a high Pakistani military official to his Indian counterpart, according to India military, offering new details about how the unexpected agreement was made.
In a briefing on Sunday (11), the director general of India military operations said that while officers were huddling on Saturday (10) “to play war” against the morning attacks of Pakistan, he received a message from his homologist in Pakistan seeking communications.
The Pakistani military confirmed on Sunday that they approached, but said they contacted intermediaries about a ceasefire with India. They did not specify which countries, although a Pakistanis employee involved in the conversations CNN that the United States was responsible for making important calls on Saturday (10).
During a call, held at 3:35 pm local time, a ceasefire agreement was reached, according to the Director General of India Military Operations, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai. He said a new call will be made to “discuss the modalities that will allow longevity” of the agreement. Pakistan did not confirm whether or not there was a call, but the officer involved in diplomatic efforts said that Pakistan received uniforms from the US that India would respect ceasefire.
The latest details of how the agreement was reached, which was first announced by US President Donald Trump, gives the clearer image of how Islamabad and New Delhi communicated directly to reach an agreement on the end of the spiral conflict amid growing international pressure.
In Truth Social, Trump said on Saturday that the US had negotiated an end to the war and congratulated the leaders of both countries for “using common sense and great intelligence.” While Islamabad praised US involvement, New Delhi minimized-willing to portray the ceasefire as a victory and saying that the neighbors had worked together “directly” in the truce.
The director-general of India Military Operations, Ghai, said India approached Islamabad on Wednesday after its initial attacks to “communicate our compulsions of attacking the heart of terror.”
India made a request – which was not specified – which was “abruptly rejected with a suggestion that a severe response was inevitable and in perspective,” Ghai told reporters. The Pakistani army said it was approached by India earlier this week regarding a ceasefire.
“The Indians asked for a ceasefire after May 8 and 9, after they started their operation. We told them that we will communicate back after our retribution,” Pakistan Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told a press conference on Sunday (11). After the military operation of Pakistan, “we reached international interlocutors and responded to the request for ceasefire,” he said.
Speaking on Wednesday, after the early attacks of India, a Pakistani employee involved in diplomacy efforts said Pakistan is engaged with the US and expects these conversations to bring positive results.
He said that Pakistan will give diplomacy a chance and delay retaliation while the US and others try to diplomacy – although India has stated that Pakistan repeatedly fired drones and artillery in its territory, something Islamabad has denied vigorously.
The Pakistani officer said they were shocked when India attacked several Pakistani air bases early Saturday morning, as they thought diplomacy was still at stake. Pakistan immediately retaliated, he said, more strongly than previously planned.
The military of Pakistan called the attacks on several Indian military bases “eye for eye” and said they aimed the Indian air bases used to throw missiles over Pakistan.
Escalonated strikes on both sides forced the existing diplomatic efforts at high speed – including the United States, China and Saudi Arabia – to intermediate an end to combat.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that he and vice president JD Vance talked with political and military leadership in India and Pakistan to ensure an agreement before the situation deteriorated further.
Vance pressed India Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find a potential “exit” to soften tensions, according to various sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India. Modi listened, but did not commit to, the sources said.
China Foreign Minister Wang Yi also spoke separately with high employees in India and Pakistan and expressed Beijing’s support for a ceasefire, according to readings from the China Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Shortly before 9 am on Saturday (10), Brasilia, around 5 pm in India and Pakistan, Trump announced the ceasefire in the Social Truth, writing: “After a long night of US-mediated negotiations, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan agreed with a complete and immediate ceasefire.”
Shortly after Trump’s announcement, both sides confirmed the truce.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in India said the agreement was prepared “directly between the two countries,” minimizing US involvement and contradicting Trump’s statement.
But the Pakistani authorities filled Washington compliments. “We thank President Trump for his leadership and proactive role for peace in the region,” said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
A Pakistani source familiar with the negotiations told the CNN That the US – and Rubio in particular – were fundamental to close the deal, painting a negotiation table that were in doubt with confidence in low tide and India missile attacks just decreasing in the last hours before the truce was confirmed.
It is not surprising that these rivals give contradictory reports about how the agreement was made.
India, which is seen as a regional superpower, has long been resisted for international mediation, while Pakistan, which is strongly dependent on foreign aid, tends to receive it, analysts say.
The most recent account of the Indian military about what happened raises new issues regarding Washington’s exact role in negotiating the truce.
For India and Pakistan, the truce – which largely seems to be maintained despite the first accusations of violation of each other – brought very necessary relief to both sides.
This content was originally published in India x Pakistan: Understand how nuclear countries even ceased Fire on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
