By RFE/RL May 11, 2025
A US-mediated cease-fire between India and Pakistan is largely holding, despite both sides accusing the other of violating the truce just hours after it was signed — a truce aimed at halting the latest surge in violence over the disputed Kashmir region.
India and Pakistan had agreed to an immediate cessation of hostilities, US President Donald Trump and officials from both South Asian countries said on May 10, after the biggest flare-up of fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbors in years sparked fears of a full-scale war.
“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,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence.”
The announcement was subsequently confirmed by Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who wrote on X that the South Asian archrivals “have agreed to a cease-fire with immediate effect.”
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told a news conference that a senior Pakistani military official called his Indian counterpart in the afternoon and they agreed “that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, air, and sea with effect from 1700 hours IST (13:30 CET).”
Despite talk of the cease-fire, India and Pakistan accused each other of violations in the following hours.
Misri said Islamabad had been repeatedly breaching the agreement, and explosions were heard in Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir, according to the BBC.
“For the last few hours, there have been repeated violations of the understanding we arrived at earlier this evening,” Misri said, adding that Indian forces have been “given instructions to deal strongly with violations.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry accused India of its own violations and said Pakistani forces “are handling the situation with responsibility and restraint.”`1
But the situation appeared to have calmed later on May 11, with reports indicating that the cease-fire was largely holding.
In the northern town of Kupwara, in Indian-administered Kashmir near the Line of Control — the de facto border with the Pakistan-controlled part of the contested region — residents expressed cautious relief.
“We are happy to see this,” local resident Anas Khan told Reuters. “This is a good thing. Nobody wants war. No solution could be found with war. It is only through dialogue.”
Another resident, Nazram Ali, described the toll of the past few days.
“We were facing a lot of troubles due to the cross-border shelling,” they said. “From children to the elderly, everyone stayed indoors during the day and moved to different villages during the night due to the firing. We are very happy that there is a cease-fire.”
International leaders have also welcomed the breakthrough.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the governments of India and Pakistan had agreed “to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site.”
In a post on X on May 10, Rubio said he and Vice President JD Vance had been in contact with senior Indian and Pakistani officials over the previous 48 hours.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the cease-fire agreement a “positive step” and “hopes the agreement will contribute to lasting peace and foster an environment conducive to addressing broader, longstanding issues between the two countries,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
The cease-fire follows weeks of escalating violence that began after a deadly April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 civilians, most of them Hindu tourists. India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault — a claim Islamabad denies. The incident triggered a series of strikes, including reported missile and drone attacks, cross-border shelling, and cyberattacks.
India and Pakistan, which gained independence from Britain in 1947, fought full-scale wars in 1948, 1965, and 1971, and a limited conflict in 1999. The central issue remains the Kashmir Valley, which India regards as its Atoot Ang — integral part — while Pakistan sees it as the “unfinished agenda of partition” of the subcontinent.
Kashmir is divided between three nuclear-armed neighbors, with India controlling about 45 percent, Pakistan about 35 percent, and China — following a brief war with India in 1962 — the remaining 20 percent.
With reporting by RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal, AP, Reuters, and the BBC
Source: ceasefire-violations-hold/33410660.html
Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
|
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
