New Delhi, May 11: Hours after India and Pakistan on Saturday reached an understanding on stopping military actions, the arrangement came under severe pressure with New Delhi blaming Islamabad of breaching it.
In a media briefing close to midnight, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri called upon Pakistan to take “appropriate steps” to address these violations and deal with the situation with “seriousness and responsibility”.
This came around five hours after the foreign secretary announced that India and Pakistan had reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea with immediate effect.
In a short announcement, Misri told the media at 6 pm that the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries agreed on the understanding during a call this afternoon.
The decision by India and Pakistan on stopping military actions was first made public by US President Donald Trump in a social media post, while claiming that the talks between the two sides were mediated by America.
Top government sources, however, clearly said the outcome was the result of direct engagement between Indian and Pakistani sides and that Islamabad agreed to it with “no pre conditions, no post conditions and no links to other issues”.
In the late night press conference, the foreign secretary said Pakistan violated the understanding and that the armed forces had been given instructions to deal strongly with any instances of repetition of the violations of the border along the International Border as well as the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
“For the last few hours, there have been repeated violations of the understanding arrived at earlier this evening between the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan,” he said.
“This is a breach of the understanding arrived at earlier today,” Misri said.
“The armed forces are giving an adequate and appropriate response to these violations and we take very very serious note of these violations,” he added.
The armed forces are maintaining a strong vigil on the situation, the foreign secretary said.
“We call upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility,” he added.
“The armed forces are maintaining a strong vigil on the situation. They have been given instructions to deal strongly with any instances of repetition of the violations of the border along the International Border as well as the Line of Control,” he said.
In his evening briefing, Misri said, “Director General of Military Operations of Pakistan called the Director General of Military Operations of India at 1535 hours IST earlier today.”
“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 had been given on both sides to give effect to the understanding and that the DGMOs of the two sides would talk again at 1200 noon on May 12.
Minutes before Misri’s remarks, Trump announced the understanding in a post on Truth 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 on stopping military actions came hours after their militaries targeted each other’s installations that marked the most severe confrontations following India’s Operation Sindoor targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) early on May 7.
The India-Pakistan decision came following diplomatic overdrive by the Group of Seven (G7) and several countries, including the US and Saudi Arabia, urging both sides to deescalate the conflict.
The sources cited above said India’s punitive measures announced against Pakistan, including putting the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack, would remain in place.
India announced the measures on April 23, a day after the dastardly terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
Terrorism will not go unpunished and India’s resolve on 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. (PTI)
