Trump Says India And Pakistan Agreed To Ceasefire After Three Days Of Armed Conflict
by Antonio Pequeño IV · ForbesTopline
Indian and Pakistani officials announced Wednesday morning a ceasefire was reached between both countries, putting an immediate end to an armed conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations after three days of fighting.
Key Facts
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s foreign minister, said in a post India and Pakistan “worked out an understanding on stoppage of firing and military action.”
Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said the ceasefire was effective immediately.
President Donald Trump said India and Pakistan reached the ceasefire agreement, “After a long night of talks mediated by the United States,” with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying in a post he and Vice President JD Vance engaged with senior officials from both countries.
India and Pakistan will “start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site,” according to Rubio.
Pakistan reopened its airspace and returned all of its airports to normal operations following the ceasefire agreement.
India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting did not credit Trump or the U.S. for the ceasefire, noting the military stoppage “was worked out directly” between India and Pakistan.
The ceasefire comes after India and Pakistan said they would de-escalate if the opposing country agreed to cease further attacks, with Dar telling Pakistani media channel Geo News the country “responded because our patience had reached its limit.”
What Is The Death Toll From India And Pakistan’s Conflict?
66, according to Reuters. Some 36 deaths and dozens of injuries were reported in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir as of Friday evening. The civilian death and injury toll out of India has yet to be widely reported.
Key Background
Tensions between India and Pakistan reached a boiling point in late April, when a terrorist attack in the town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 people. India and Pakistan have fought over Kashmir for decades, with both sides establishing militarized zones in the contested region. India largely blamed the Pahalgam attack on Pakistan, accusing the country of backing The Resistance Front, an armed group that claimed responsibility. Pakistan said the allegations were “baseless and concocted” before India vowed to retaliate for the Pahalgam attack. India launched missile strikes against Pakistan this week, killing over two dozen people in the initial assault that Pakistan called “an unprovoked and blatant act of war” that had “violated Pakistan’s sovereignty.” Pakistan responded with its own missile attacks that India claimed killed at least 10 people in Indian-administered Kashmir, marking the early phases of tit-for-tat strikes between both countries. Pakistan has long pushed for international mediation on several issues with India including Kashmir, while India has dismissed such action, arguing Kashmir is a bilateral issue that should have no involvement from third parties.
Further Reading
Pakistan Says 31 Killed After India Launches Airstrikes (Forbes)