India and Pakistan reach agreement for an "instant" truce following several days of lethal skirmishes.
Ready to put an end to decades' long military tension? After a succession of lethal drone assaults, artillery fire, and missile bombings, Pakistan and India agreed to an "instant ceasefire," unexpectedly announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on a Saturday, May 10.
: Ceasefire between India and Pakistan: A diplomatic deal approved directly by the nations, India claims Trump posted on his Truth Social network, "After a sleepless night of chats under American arbitration, I'm delighted to announce that India and Pakistan have acknowledged a COMPLETE AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE." In Islamabad, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar endorsed the ceasefire agreement with a statement, while in New Delhi, an anonymous government source confirmed the deal was the outcome of direct negotiations between India and Pakistan. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had just stated the agreement arose from extensive discussions between himself, Vice President J.D. Vance, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with other high-ranking officials.
Weeks of mounting hostility
Since a Wednesday, these neighboring nations, born out of a tumultuous partition in 1947 under British rule, rebuffed global pleas for composure, with powerful capitals fearing the point of no return was near.
: Ceasefire between India and Pakistan: A timeline of recent diplomatic retaliation leading to a military stalemate It began on April 22 with an assault that rattled India: armed assailants slaughtered 26 individuals at a tourist site in Indian Kashmir. New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing the jihadist group believed responsible for the attack, which Pakistan adamantly denied.
Following diplomatic penalties and threats to restrict the flow of the Indus River, the two nations spiraled into a full-scale military confrontation on Wednesday. That day, India launched attacks on various Pakistani cities, claiming to have liquidated "terrorist hideouts" and triggered a chain reaction of attacks and reprisals. Even on Saturday morning, Pakistan declared it was retaliating after Indian missile strikes on military bases, one close to Islamabad. According to official reports from both sides, the violence has claimed around 60 civilian lives.
- Pakistan and India's immediate ceasefire was confirmed following direct negotiations under American arbitration.
- Trump announced the ceasefire on his Truth Social network, claiming it was the outcome of exhaustive discussions involving top officials from the US, India, and Pakistan.
- The ceasefire was endorsed by Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and an anonymous government source in New Delhi.
- The two nations, born out of a tumultuous partition in 1947 under British rule, had been involved in weeks of mounting hostility, with Pakistan denying accusations of supporting the jihadist group responsible for attacking a tourist site in Indian-administered Kashmir.
- The recent diplomatic retaliation between India and Pakistan has resulted in a military stalemate, with both nations sparring over the Indus River, missile strikes, and countless civilian casualties.
