India has accused Pakistan of violating a ceasefire deal reached just hours earlier to end the most serious military confrontation between the nuclear-armed rivals in decades.
After four days of intense military exchanges, both parties stated their commitment to a US-facilitated truce on Saturday afternoon, raising hopes that an all-out conflict over the disputed region of Kashmir could be avoided.
But Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said “there had been repeated violations of the understanding arrived between the two countries”.
“We call upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility,” he told a news conference in New Delhi.
Misri said the Indian army was “retaliating” for what he called a “border intrusion.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri (Photo: Imtiyaz Khan/Anadolu via Getty Images)Pakistan’s information minister denied that there had been violations of the ceasefire. Attaullah Tarar told broadcaster Geo News: “As of now, there have not been any ceasefire violations.”
It came after multiple explosions were heard in two cities in India-controlled Kashmir, despite the ceasefire being announced earlier.
Residents said the loud explosions in Srinagar and Jammu were followed by blackouts.
Omar Abdullah, the region’s top elected official, said in a post on social media: “What the hell just happened to the ceasefire? Explosions heard across Srinagar!!!”
In another post, he said: “This is no ceasefire. The air defence units in the middle of Srinagar just opened up.”
People wave Pakistani flags in celebration after the ceasefire announcement between India and Pakistan (Photo: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters)Cross-border shelling and gunfire was also reported from at least five places along the Line of Control, a de facto frontier that divides disputed Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
There were no reports of casualties.
Pakistan-administered Kashmir’s education minister said skirmishes were continuing along the de-facto border with India.
The ceasefire deal had been expected to bring a swift end to weeks of escalating clashes, including missile and drone strikes, triggered by the massacre of tourists by gunmen last month that India blames on Pakistan, which denies the charge.
Dozens of civilians have been killed on both sides since then.
Donald Trump first announced the news of the ceasefire on his social media platform Truth Social.
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The US president wrote: “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.”
The apparent pause in the conflict came as a surprise to many, as earlier on Saturday both sides were blaming each other for not de-escalating.
Pakistan’s deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar and India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri both independently confirmed the ceasefire, which started at 5pm (1pm BST).
Dar told the broadcaster Geo News that military channels and hotlines between India and Pakistan had been activated, and three dozen countries had actively helped to facilitate the agreement.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, India’s most senior diplomat, said the two military chiefs would speak to each other again on 12 May.
Sir Keir Starmer said he was “pleased” at the ceasefire announcement, but stressed that the agreement must be enduring and lasting.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the deal was “hugely welcome” in a social media post, adding: “I urge both parties to sustain this. De-escalation is in everybody’s interest.”
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The four days of fighting that began on Wednesday were the worst between the old South Asian enemies in nearly three decades.
Tensions escalated when India attacked what it said was “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistani Kashmir and Pakistan, two weeks after 26 people were killed in an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir.
Pakistan denied the accusations that it was involved in the attack. Days of cross-border fire, shelling and drone and missile attacks followed.
India and Pakistan both hold large nuclear arsenals, and rhetoric from both sides of the border prompted fears these weapons could come into play.
Although India has adopted a “no first use” policy on nuclear weapons, Pakistan has not.
Concerns were heightened when the Pakistan military said the National Command Authority, a top military and civil body overseeing its nuclear weapons would convene, but the country’s defence minister later said no such meeting was scheduled.
Despite the truce, two Indian government sources told Reuters that the punitive measures announced by India and reciprocated by Pakistan, such as trade suspension and visa cancellations, would remain in place for now.
The sources also said India’s suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, a critical water-sharing pact, would remain in place.
Local residents stand outside their house that was destroyed by Pakistani artillery shelling as they prepare to evacuate at the Lagama village in Uri, about 100kms from Srinagar (Photo: TAUSEEF MUSTAFA / AFP)However, the Pakistan Airport Authority (APA) said Pakistan’s airspace has been fully restored for all types of flights.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that he and Vice President JD Vance had engaged with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, and the two national security advisors over the course of 48 hours.
In a post on X, he said he was pleased the two countries had agreed to the ceasefire and 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 added.
People have taken to the streets in Pakistan to celebrate the ceasefire.
“This is a big day for Pakistan,” said Mohammad Fateh, a young man in the city of Lahore told AP.
“Our forces responded with strength, and India had no choice but to agree to a ceasefire.”
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