India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire after days of military escalation, deadly cross-border attacks, accusations, and counter-accusations. This raised concerns that the two nuclear-armed neighbors would engage in an all-out war for the fifth time since 1947.
However, violations of the truce were reported later on Saturday as explosions were heard across parts of Indian-administered Kashmir.
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated, “For the last few hours, there have been repeated violations of the understanding arrived at earlier this evening between the director generals of military operations of India and Pakistan.”
“This is a breach of an understanding arrived at earlier today. We call upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation,” he added.
Misri also mentioned that India’s military has been instructed to “deal strongly” with any violations.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry released a statement early Sunday responding to Misri’s comments, affirming the country’s commitment to faithfully implementing the ceasefire announced with India earlier. Pakistan accused India of committing breaches of the truce “in some areas.”
“Notwithstanding the violations being committed by India in some areas, our forces are handling the situation with responsibility and restraint,” the statement said.
“We believe that any issues in smooth implementation of the ceasefire should be addressed through communication at appropriate levels. The troops on the ground should also exercise restraint,” it added.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told Geo News that there have been no violations of the agreement.
Security analyst Sahar Khan, based in Washington, highlighted that the reported truce violations underscore just how fragile peace along the Line of Control is. She noted that the most recent fighting broke a ceasefire agreement reached in 2021, the most substantial since 2003.
“This is still a very delicate and fragile ceasefire, but I think most people on the ground are relieved to see it. While this is good news, I do expect to see some back and forth on this,” Khan said.
Earlier on Saturday, military officials from both countries had agreed to stop all fighting at 17:00 Indian time, bringing a halt to all firing and operations by land, air, and sea. This followed heavy overnight exchanges.
Misri mentioned that the two military chiefs would speak to each other again on May 12.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed optimism that the long-running dispute over Kashmir and water-sharing with India would be resolved. He accused India of killing civilians and targeting mosques with drone and missile attacks, calling these claims against Pakistan “baseless.”
Residents in both countries and in the disputed areas of Kashmir welcomed the ceasefire announcement with relief and joy. However, just hours after the ceasefire was declared, explosions were heard in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir, raising concerns about its stability.
Reports indicate that the ceasefire may have been mediated by international actors, but there are conflicting reports on which countries played crucial roles.
US President Donald Trump claimed that the US was involved in mediating the ceasefire, announcing it on Truth Social. He congratulated both countries for using common sense and great intelligence.
Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna reported questions about why the US announced the ceasefire first and what leverage it has over India and Pakistan. It was noted that the UK’s recent trade deal with India could also have influenced the ceasefire.
Namun, Dar mengatakan kepada broadcaster Geo News bahwa Pakistan dan India telah setuju untuk “ceasefire” yang “full-fledged” dan “bukan sebagian”, menambahkan bahwa tiga puluh enam negara terlibat dalam diplomasi yang mengamankannya.