India, Pakistan accuse each other of violating ceasefire hours after reaching deal
ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan accused each other of violating a ceasefire deal made hours earlier Saturday after US-led talks to end the most serious military confrontation between the nuclear-armed rivals in decades.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said late Saturday that 'there had been repeated violations of the understanding arrived between the two countries' on ceasing fire and accused Pakistan of breaching the agreement.
'We call upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility,' he said at a news conference in New Delhi. Misri said the Indian army was 'retaliating' for what he called a 'border intrusion.'
Within hours of the truce announcement, violations were reported from the main cities of Indian-administered Kashmir, as well as in Azad Kashmir on the Pakistani side of the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan.
The reports came after Islamabad and India both announced a sudden stop to a conflict that had seemed to be spiraling alarmingly. The US said they had also agreed to hold talks on a broad range of issues at a neutral site.
Pakistani Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry told Arab News, 'the response would be harsh' if India defied the ceasefire agreement.
The deal had been expected to bring a swift end to weeks of escalating clashes, including missile and drone strikes, triggered by the massacre of tourists by gunmen last month that India blames on Pakistan, which denies the charge. Dozens of civilians have been killed on both sides since then. But multiple explosions were heard in two large cities of India-controlled Kashmir hours after the countries agreed to the deal.
The first word of the truce came from US President Donald Trump, who posted on his Truth Social platform that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire: 'Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!'
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced the truce on Geo News, saying that Saudi Arabia and Turkiye played an important role in facilitating the deal.
Misri said the head of military operations from both countries spoke Saturday afternoon and top military leaders will speak again Monday.
'It was agreed between them that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, and in the air and sea. Instructions have been given on both sides to give effect to this understanding,' he said.
Hours after the agreement, explosions heard by residents in Srinagar and Jammu in India-controlled Kashmir were followed by blackouts in the two cities. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Omar Abdullah, the region's top elected official, said in a post on social media: 'What the hell just happened to the ceasefire? Explosions heard across Srinagar!!!'
Working toward a broader agreement
Conflict between India and Pakistan is not rare, with the two countries having periodically engaged in wars, clashes and skirmishes since gaining independence from British India in 1947.
The ceasefire in the latest hostilities came after the countries fired volleys of cross-border missile strikes Saturday, when India said it targeted Pakistani air bases after Islamabad fired several high-speed missiles at military and civilian infrastructure in Punjab state. Pakistan said it responded with retaliatory strikes.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he and Vice President JD Vance had engaged with senior officials from both countries over the past 48 hours. They included Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif, India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir.
Rubio said the two governments agreed to 'start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site.'
Though Pakistanis had initially celebrated their army's retaliation, they were later jubilant about the truce, saying it was a moment of national pride and relief after days of tension.
In Islamabad, Zubaida Bibi expressed her joy at the restoration of peace with India.
'War brings nothing but suffering,' she said. 'We are happy that calm is returning. It feels like Eid to me. We have won.'
Indian strikes hit Pakistani air bases
Tensions have soared since the attack at a popular tourist site in India-controlled Kashmir left 26 civilians dead, mostly Indian Hindu tourists, on April 22.
Earlier Saturday, India's military held a press briefing in New Delhi, saying Pakistan had targeted health facilities and schools at its three air bases in Kashmir.
'Befitting reply has been given to Pakistani actions,' Indian Col. Sofiya Qureshi said.
Indian missiles targeted Nur Khan air base in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad, Murid air base in Chakwal city and Rafiqui air base in the Jhang district of eastern Punjab province, according to Pakistan's military spokesman.
There were no immediate reports of the strike or its aftermath from residents in the densely populated Rawalpindi.
Pakistan's military had said it used medium-range Fateh missiles to hit an Indian missile storage facility and air bases in the cities of Pathankot and Udhampur. Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif said the country's air force assets were safe after the Indian assault.
The Associated Press could not independently verify all the actions attributed to Pakistan or India.
Explosions in India-controlled Kashmir
After the announcement of Pakistani retaliation, residents in Indian-controlled Kashmir said they heard loud explosions at multiple places, including the large cities of Srinagar and Jammu and the garrison town of Udhampur.
'Explosions that we are hearing today are different from the ones we heard the last two nights during drone attacks,' said Shesh Paul Vaid, the region's former top police official and Jammu resident. 'It looks like a war here.'
Vaid said explosions were heard from areas with military bases, adding it appeared that army sites were targeted. Residents living near Srinagar's airport, which is also an air base, said they were rattled by the explosions and booming sound of jets.
'I was already awake, but the explosions jolted my kids out of their sleep. They started crying,' said Srinagar resident Mohammed Yasin.
Omar Abdullah, Indian-controlled Kashmir's top elected official, welcomed the ceasefire. But he said had it happened two or three days earlier 'we might have avoided the bloodshed and the loss of precious lives.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
CEO of Saudi budget airline flyadeal criticizes Airbus for delivery delays
The head of Saudi budget carrier flyadeal criticized Airbus' handling of delays of narrow-body jets and voiced concerns that disruption could spread to freshly ordered wide-body A330neos. CEO Steven Greenway spoke out about delays on the sidelines of an IATA airline industry summit in New Delhi, just weeks after unveiling an order for 10 A330neo long-haul planes. 'Delays are becoming inexcusable. Transparency, to be frank, is lacking, and we're getting agitated. How else can we plan? I mean it is just going beyond a joke now,' Greenway told Reuters. A non-excusable delay is a term used in aircraft contracts to trigger specific penalties to airlines, but these are rare. Jet-makers have consistently argued that any delays caused by supply chain problems are 'excusable,' industry sources say. Airbus faces some internal industrial problems, he said. Airbus declined to comment on the narrow-body delays. It has previously reported some improvement in supply chains and has said it is working to soften the impact on customers, while sticking to a target for 820 deliveries this year. Flyadeal is also among several carriers affected by a separate slowdown in arrivals of engines from CFM on the Airbus assembly line. 'I have got two (narrow-body jets) sitting on the ground in Toulouse at the moment that have been there for a couple of months and I don't have any resolution in sight,' Greenway said. 'We were meant to have four aircraft in the first half of the year. We've only had two, and even those two were delayed.' The sister airline to Saudia is now due to have one A321neo delivered in the third quarter and three in the fourth quarter. 'But I'm very three in the last quarter are going to get across the line,' he said, adding: 'Don't forget, this is delays on top of delays.' Safran, which co-owns CFM with GE Aerospace, said in April that CFM had seen improvements in supply chains and was poised to recover a slow start to 2025. Greenway's comments reflect mounting private frustration about widespread supply problems among airline CEOs gathering for their annual industry meeting. He acknowledged that aerospace had been hit by a broad exodus of labor from the manufacturing sector after COVID-19, but added: 'I do think it's inexcusable that here we are three, four years later, and we still haven't got over that hump.' A330NEO uncertainty Reuters reported last week that Airbus had warned airlines that a pattern of delays would persist for another three years. Lessors have spoken of supply tensions for the rest of the decade. Greenway raised concerns that similar problems could spread to the wide-body A330neo, after flyadeal unveiled an order for 10 of the upgraded long-haul jets in April. So far there have been no reports of delivery delays to the aircraft. 'Our (first) aircraft was meant to be on the final production line in December of next year. I don't know if we're going to see that or not,' he said. Airbus said it was not aware of any A330neo delays. Airlines say delays disrupt decisions that must be taken well ahead like pilot and crew training and adding routes. 'You can't you take the wide-bodies, I'm now assuming there is going to be a delay. I'm having to go out and work with wet-lease operators to plug that gap,' Greenway said, referring to rentals of planes with crews. Philippine budget airline Cebu Pacific said last week it would wet-lease two crewed A320s to flyadeal during its lean months in July and August, a busy period for the Saudi carrier.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistani delegation arrives in New York to meet UN officials, OIC members after India standoff
ISLAMABAD: A nine-member Pakistani delegation led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has arrived in New York to meet top United Nations officials and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) members, state-run media reported on Monday, as Islamabad prepares to present its perspective on its recent military standoff with arch-rival India. Constituted by the Pakistani prime minister last month, the delegation received a briefing from the foreign office on Pakistan's military standoff with India last month. Bhutto Zardari said his team also received a briefing from the foreign office on contentious issues like the Kashmir dispute, 'terrorism,' and India's unilateral move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan and India last month engaged in the most serious fighting between them since 1999. Both pounded each other with missiles, drone strikes and artillery fire in four days of conflict before US President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire on May 10. Tensions had soared after India blamed Pakistan for being involved in an April 22 attack on a tourist resort in the part of Kashmir administered by India. Islamabad denied involvement. 'A nine-member parliamentary delegation led by Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is in New York to hold meetings with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President of the UN General Assembly, as well as the Ambassadors of Permanent and non-permanent members of the UN Security-Council,' state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. 'During the visit, the delegation will present Pakistan's perspective on the recent military clash with India and to counter New Delhi's disinformation campaign.' It did not specify how long the delegation would stay in New York. The state broadcaster said that besides these meetings, the delegation will also brief members of the OIC at the UN. Bhutto Zardari, along with other members of the delegation, will also interact with media representatives during his visit to New York. The development takes place as India presents its point of view to the world on its recent conflict with Pakistan. The Indian government has appointed Congress party lawmaker and author Shashi Tharoor as the head of a delegation in its attempts to convince world capitals that Pakistan supports cross-border 'terrorism' and to justify New Delhi's attacks against its neighboring country last month. Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have fought two out of three wars over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir since 1947. Both govern the territory in parts but claim its ownership in full. India accuses Pakistan of harboring militants who carry out cross-border attacks targeting citizens and law enforcers in the Kashmir territory that it administers. Pakistan denies the allegations and says it only extends diplomatic and moral support to the people of Kashmir. While the ceasefire between the two countries has continued to hold since last month, tensions persist as India vows to hold in abeyance the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan has said any attempts to divert or stop its flow of water would be considered an 'act of war.'
Arab News
12 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan Navy conducts exercise to counter sub-conventional, asymmetric threats to major ports
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy has conducted a comprehensive two-day exercise to counter sub-conventional and asymmetric threats to all major ports and harbors, its Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR) said on Sunday, weeks after a four-day standoff with India. While air forces and armies of both countries traded jet, drone, missile and artillery strikes last month, the two navies did not reportedly engage each other during the four-day standoff. Media reports, however, suggested that Indian aircraft carrier Vikrant had maneuvered toward the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi, but Pakistan Navy kept it confined to the Indian territorial waters. The DGPR said on Sunday the naval exercise was aimed at validating and refining Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) to ensure robust defense of critical maritime infrastructure against 'evolving' asymmetrical threats. 'The exercise involved coordinated operations by PN (Pakistan Navy) Fleet units, Pakistan Marines, SSG (Special Services Group of Navy) and Naval Aviation assets,' it said in a statement. 'The exercise's scenarios were designed to simulate a range of sub-conventional threats including sabotage, infiltration and unconventional attacks, enabling participating units to enhance inter-agency coordination, situational awareness and rapid response capabilities.' During the exercise, Pakistan Coast Commander Rear Admiral Faisal Amin visited various operational setups at ports and harbors and witnessed live action simulations carried out by participating units. 'COMCOAST appreciated high level of preparedness and professional conduct demonstrated during the exercises,' the DGPR said. 'He emphasized the importance of maritime installations and added that secure functioning of ports and harbors is directly linked to national economic stability and growth.'
