Ceasefire: India and Pakistan have agreed to end their military standoff right away. This comes after days of deadly attacks across the border, charges, and counter-accusations that made people very worried that their nuclear-armed neighbours would start a full-scale war for the fifth time since 1947.
But the truce was broken later that day when blasts were heard in parts of Kashmir that are controlled by India.
In a briefing, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, “For the last few hours, there have been repeated violations of the understanding reached earlier this evening between the director generals of military operations of India and Pakistan.”
“This goes against what we agreed to earlier today…” We want Pakistan to do what it needs to do to stop these violations and handle the problem. He said. Misri went on to say that India’s military has been told to “deal strongly” with any breaches.
Early on Saturday, military leaders from both sides talked and decided that all fighting would end at 17:00 Indian time (11:30 GMT) on Saturday. This meant that there would be no more firing or operations on land, air, or sea. This came after a lot of trading overnight on Friday and Saturday.
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“Pakistan has always worked for peace and safety in the area, but it has never given up its sovereignty or territorial integrity,” Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said.
People in both countries and in the parts of divided Kashmir that each controls were relieved and happy when they heard the news.
But Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of the federal territory, said that explosions could be heard all over the city of Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir just hours after the ceasefire was called. “What the hell happened to the peace treaty?” “People all over Srinagar heard explosions,” Abdullah wrote on X.
“People are welcoming the ceasefire, but we are also reminded of how fragile it is,” Osama Bin Javaid of Al Jazeera said from Lahore, Pakistan. “Ceasefire violations are already happening across the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region.”
According to Aljazeera: “Locals have told us that there has been fighting in several places in the Kashmir region, and some projectiles have also entered Pakistani airspace,” he said.
“We can also hear the loud explosions in Srinagar, which are the same ones we heard early Saturday morning and in the afternoon.” Air sirens are going off all over, and the power is out, photographer Umar Mehraj told Al Jazeera from Srinagar.
There are weapons in the sky and in the air. It’s not clear if these attacks are being stopped by weapons or air defence. “There have been reports of explosions in Baramulla and Jammu as well,” Mehraj said.
A lot of places lost power, which made things even more confusing. Since there was no official word on what the blasts were, some locals said they felt “abandoned and unprepared.”
“One of the blasts was so strong that it made the walls shake.” The government isn’t making it clear what’s going on, and there are no shelters or sirens in our area. We don’t know what to do. “There is only fear,” a person from Srinagar told Al Jazeera.
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Globally Mediated
The ceasefire seems to have been negotiated by foreign groups, but different news sources say different countries played key roles.
Is it really the US? US President Donald Trump was the first person to say so on a Truth Social post: “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.”
“Congratulations to both Countries for being Smart and Using Common Sense,” he wrote.
“There are questions about why the US announced first,” Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna said from Washington, DC. What kind of power does it have over Pakistan and India? We do know that there were several attempts to end the fighting. We also know that the UK just signed a big trade deal with India, which means that it would have a lot of power in this case. The US seems to be going even further, though.
But Dar told Geo News that Pakistan and India had agreed to a “full-fledged” and “not partial” ceasefire. He also said that thirty-two countries were involved in the talks that led to the agreement.
Broader Issues
India and Pakistan have agreed to a greater engagement on several topics after the war.
Reuters reported that two government officials said all trade and visa curbs adopted by India against Pakistan after April 22 remain in force.
From Lahore, Pakistan, Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid reported that the water issue is vital for Pakistan “because India has suspended its related treaty with Pakistan, which affects the livelihood and agriculture in this country”.
Four government sources told Reuters that the 1960 India-Pakistan Indus Waters Treaty is suspended.
The pact governs South Asian water distribution from the Indus River and its tributaries. India left last month. Both nations’ agriculture depends on it.
“There are real fundamental political issues that need to be addressed so we don’t find ourselves again in a militarised crisis,” Stimson Centre South Asia programme director Elizabeth Threlkeld told Al Jazeera.
We are blessed by God’s grace
People on both sides of the Line of Control in Kashmir were relieved by the ceasefire. Many prayed for a lasting Kashmir solution.
Rumaisa Jan, 25, said Al Jazeera, “I was very worried about what was going on.” In Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir, Jan is getting married next week. ” This is the smartest thing to do after so many deaths. Peace and an end to fighting are our goals.
Firdous Ahmad Sheikh owns a city travel firm. He was furious that the two countries were using Kashmir as a “battleground”.
“My only worry is that things might get worse again in the future.” They must cooperate to resolve Kashmir politically. I hope our children never witness such atrocities.