India and Pakistan agree to ceasefire but accuse each other of violations

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Nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday after US pressure and diplomacy.
But within hours, both countries accused the other of violating the agreement, and blasts were reported from the main cities of Indian-administered Kashmir, the centre of four days of fighting.

Blasts were heard in Srinagar and Jammu and projectiles and flashes were seen in the night sky over Jammu, similar to the events of the previous evening, according to authorities, residents and Reuters witnesses.

A streak of light seen in the sky.

Indian air defence systems activate following the ceasefire announcement, in the city of Jammu, Indian-administered Kashmir. Source: Anadolu / Getty Images

On Saturday, Pakistan and India had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire after days of deadly jet fighter, missile, drone and artillery attacks which killed more than 60 people and caused thousands of civilians to flee their homes along their border as well as in divided Kashmir.

The news was announced by US President Donald Trump.
“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 on using common sense and great intelligence,” Trump posted on social media.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said that he and vice president JD Vance had engaged with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, and the two national security advisers over the course of 48 hours.

Soldiers wearing camo uniform and holding guns in a vehicle.

Indian defence personnel patrol in New Delhi. Source: Getty / Hindustan Times

In a post on X, Rubio commended Modi and Sharif on the agreement, which he said included not only an immediate ceasefire but also the start of talks on “a broad set of issues at a neutral site”.

India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri said that both sides would “stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea”.

Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar also posted on X that the countries had “agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect”.
“Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity!”

News of the ceasefire was greeted with relief on both sides of the border, and Pakistan’s airports authority said its airspace had been fully reopened.

A large group of people celebrating.

Celebrations of the ceasefire agreement in Hyderabad, Pakistan. Source: AAP / Nadeem Khawar / EPA

But reports of violations sparked alarm, with Misri later accusing Pakistan of “repeated violations” and saying the Indian armed forces were “giving an adequate and appropriate response”.

“We call upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility,” Misri told a media briefing.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the country “remains committed to faithful implementation” of the truce.

Accusing India of committing its own violations, it said Pakistan’s forces “are handling the situation with responsibility and restraint”.

People carrying out the removal of debris.

Residents remove debris and clean up damage caused by an Indian attack in Neelum Valley, Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Saturday. Source: Anadolu / Getty Images

It called for ceasefire issues to be handled “through communication at appropriate levels” and urged troops on the ground to also exercise restraint.

Conflict between the South Asian neighbours reignited on Wednesday, when India attacked what it said was “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistani-administered Kashmir and Pakistan.

It came two weeks after 26 people were killed in an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, which India accused Pakistan of backing.
Pakistan denied India’s accusations that it was involved in the attack.
Days of cross-border fire, shelling and drone and missile attacks followed.

Despite the truce, two Indian government sources told Reuters that the punitive measures announced by India and reciprocated by Pakistan, such as trade suspension and visa cancellations, would remain in place for now.

A man peering through the rubble of a building.

A man stands inside his damaged house, following overnight shelling from Pakistan in the Dachi village in Uri, in Indian-administered Kashmir. Source: Getty / NurPhoto

The sources also said the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, a critical water-sharing pact that India suspended after the Kashmir attack, would remain in abeyance.

India and Pakistan have been locked in a dispute over Kashmir ever since they were born at the end of British colonial rule in 1947. India and Pakistan both claim it in full but administer separate parts.

They have gone to war three times, including twice over Kashmir, alongside numerous smaller outbreaks of fighting.

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