India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes. In his address, Dar said the DGMOs of the two countries would again get in contact on May 18.
Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday said that the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) from both India and Pakistan recently held talks via a hotline to discuss the ongoing ceasefire. Dar stated that the current ceasefire agreement between the two nations will remain in effect until May 18, after which another round of discussions is scheduled between the two DGMOs on the same day.
He further stated that the ceasefire understanding came into effect on May 10 after four consecutive days of cross-border drone and missile strikes. This move was aimed at halting military hostilities and de-escalating tensions along the border after India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack which killed 26 innocent civilians on April 22.
What did Ishaq Dar say?
Speaking in the Pakistan Parliament, Dar said that Major General Kashif Abdullah from Pakistan and his Indian counterpart, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, had a conversation over the hotline on Wednesday afternoon (May 14). However, there has been no official response from the Indian side regarding Dar’s remarks. A senior Indian Army officer in New Delhi mentioned that both countries had agreed on continuing confidence-building measures following the mutual understanding reached on May 10.
Dar further mentioned in Parliament that the DGMOs are expected to reconnect on May 18 for further discussions. While specific details of the talks haven’t been made public, both sides reportedly agreed to uphold the ceasefire commitment. As per a report by Geo News, Dar explained that the ceasefire was initially extended till May 12 during the first DGMO-level talks. It was then further extended to May 14 during subsequent talks, and after the latest conversation, it now stands extended till May 18.
Notably, this statement comes shortly after Dar issued a veiled threat in an interview with CNN, warning that the ceasefire agreement could be at risk if the long-standing Indus Waters Treaty dispute between India and Pakistan remains unresolved. He went as far as to say that if the matter is not addressed, it could be considered an “act of war.”
Operation Sindoor
It should be mentioned here that India carried out precision strikes under ‘Operation Sindoor’ on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir early on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. The Indian forces launched a fierce counter-attack on several Pakistani military installations and also killed more than 100 terrorists.
(With PTI inputs)
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