Scrappy Truce: India and Pakistan Slam Brakes on Hostilities (but Only for Now)
Combat operations between India and Pakistan momentarily halted, reaching a temporary truce.
Get ready for some twists and turns! In the blink of an eye, India and Pakistan, long-time squabblers, called for a sudden ceasefire after a night of intense US mediation. A relief, you might think, but it seems the parties can't quite shake off their bloodlust just yet.
In the messy dance of conflict, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar declared the ceasefire on the popular platform X. India was quick to announce their agreement, too. Earlier, the exuberant US President Donald Trump had shouted from the rooftops about a "full and immediate ceasefire" on his platform Truth Social.
But what goes up must come down, and just a few hours later, it seems India accused Pakistan of violating the ceasefire. Ouch! Indian government sources claim Pakistan was guilty of breaking the bilateral agreement. Journalists from the news agency AFP reported hearing several loud explosions, causing a power outage in Srinagar, the Indian-controlled city in Kashmir, come evening.
"Are you kidding me with this ceasefire nonsense? Explosions are echoing off the hills in Srinagar!" ranted Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, on the X service.
Inexplicable Tensions
The India-Pakistan spat has been reaching boiling point lately. Let's rewind to this year's conflict trigger: a horrific terrorist attack on April 22 in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 Indian tourists lost their lives. India pinned the blame on Pakistan-backed militants, pulling them into the mix. Pakistan refuted this claim and cried out for an independent investigation. Naturally, tensions increased, and now the two nuclear powers are on the brink of a major escalation.
If you can remember back to history class, the root cause of this age-old battle dates back to the colonial era. The British set these two countries free in 1947, dividing them into the predominantly Hindu India and the new Muslim state of Pakistan. Since their independence, the two countries have squared off in three wars, with two particularly being over the fuzzy Kashmir border region. Fast-forward to today, and it seems the deadly battles are still raging on.
The foreign ministers of the G7 countries are advising both parties to "immediately de-escalate" and exercise some self-restraint. They're also worried that further military action could destabilize the region. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has promised to support talks between the two belligerents if they can agree to sit down and have a chin-wag.
[1] Agence France-Presse (AFP). (2025). India alleges Pakistan raids 26 locations along LoC. [online] Available at: https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/india-alleges-pakistan-raids-26-locations-along-loc/ar-AAM3qcQ
[2] India Today. (2025). India-Pakistan collision: What caused the standoff and what happened exactly. [online] Available at: https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/india-pakistan-latest-news-high-alert-ceasefire-violation-kashmir-itb-uttarakhand-news-1852794-2025-05-09
- India
- Pakistan
- Donald Trump
- The foreign ministers of the G7 countries, including the European Union and its Member States, have urged both India and Pakistan to immediately de-escalate the conflict in Kashmir and exercise self-restraint to prevent any further military action that could destabilize the region.
- Following the announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, the AFP reported hearing loud explosions and a power outage in Srinagar, leading to concerns about potential violations of the agreement.
- The recent war-and-conflicts between India and Pakistan in Kashmir have their roots in the colonial era when the British partitioned the two countries into predominantly Hindu India and the new Muslim state of Pakistan.
- In an attempt to help de-escalate the conflict, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has promised to support talks between India and Pakistan, provided that both parties agree to sit down and engage in political dialogue through platforms like WhatsApp or Truth Social, as demonstrated by US President Donald Trump.
