Pause in India-Pakistan hostilities to continue

The cessation of hostilities agreed upon by India and Pakistan on May 12 will continue, according to a statement by the Indian Army.

In the backdrop of repeated assertions by Pakistan that the understanding to “stop all firing and military action on land, in the air and sea” ends on May 18, the Indian Army has said there was “no expiry date” to it.

“No Director General of Military Operations [DGMO] talks are scheduled today. As far as continuation of break in hostilities, as decided in DGMOs’ interaction of May 12, there is no expiry date to it,” the Army said in a statement.

On May 15, the Indian Army said both sides agreed to continue the stoppage of all firing that came into effect from 5 p.m. on May 10 and continue the “confidence building measures” to reduce the alertness level. It is also not clear as to what the confidence building measures are.

This came after Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar informed Parliament that they had “military-to-military communications” on last Wednesday and Thursday and the ceasefire was till May 18.

Following the military confrontation over four days following India’s strikes on nine terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on the night of May 6-7, the two DGMOs on May 10 spoke, and an understanding was reached to “stop all firing and military action on land, in the air and sea” that came into effect from 5 p.m. on May 10.

The four days saw hundreds of drones fired by Pakistan, in waves, as well as unmanned combat aerial vehicles and missiles, most of which were shot down in addition to heavy shelling along the Line of Control. Pakistan resorted to firing and drones were sighted within three hours of the understanding coming into effect on May 10. The situation has been quiet in the last few days along the western borders, officials said.

-With Agencies inputs