CNN
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The agreed ceasefire between India and Pakistan highlights its commitment to a surprising ceasefire that halted the worst battle between nuclear neighbours in decades, and both sides appear to be embracing.
The flare-up was caused by a massacre of tourists in Kashmir, managed by India last month. The cross-border military strike began Wednesday, killing dozens of people.
CNN has since understood that it has been held, but there have been reports of violations from both sides shortly after the ceasefire was announced on Saturday.
US President Donald Trump was the first to announce a ceasefire, and claimed credit for Washington’s role in securing that, but accounts emerged that were contradictory about the extent of US involvement.
This is what you need to know.
Just before 8am on Saturday, around 5pm in India and Pakistan, Trump announced a ceasefire in a post about the True Society.
“We are pleased to announce that after a long, US-mediated night of talks, India and Pakistan have agreed to a complete and immediate ceasefire,” Trump congratulated the leaders of both countries, who “use common sense and great intelligence.”
Shortly afterwards, Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued that India and Pakistan had not only agreed to a ceasefire, but also agreed to “open consultations on a wide range of issues at neutral sites.” Rubio said the ceasefire came after he and Vice President JD Vance spoke to senior officials from both countries over the past two days.
Both sides confirmed the contract immediately.
CNN correspondent explains what we know about the India-Pakistan ceasefire
India’s Ministry of Information said the agreement was “directly between the two countries,” disregarding US involvement and contradicting Trump’s claims. The ministry also said there was “no decision” to hold further consultations.
However, Pakistani officials praise Washington.
“We appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his active role in regional peace,” Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif said.
A Pakistani source, well-versed in negotiations, told CNN that the US, Rubio in particular, has been working hard to launch the deal, drawing pictures of suspicious talks until a ceasefire is confirmed.
The deal was even more surprising given the fight continued as both sides accused each other of attacking military bases, causing further fears of escalation.
It is no surprise that these bitter rivals gave contradictory explanations about how they reached the ceasefire.
India, considered a regional superpower, has long resisted international mediation, but analysts say Pakistan, which relies heavily on foreign aid, tends to welcome it.
“We have never accepted mediation in India-Pakistan, India-China or other conflicts,” said Dr Aparna Pande, an Indian and South Asia researcher at the Hudson Institute, a think tank in Washington, DC.
“On the other hand, Pakistan has always sought international mediation, so they will praise it,” she added, “it is the only way to put pressure on India to discuss and resolve the Kashmir conflict.”
The battle before Saturday’s ceasefire was characterized by claims, counterclaims and misinformation from both sides. Now that the conflict has paused, both sides are stepping up their efforts to shape awareness of what the battle has achieved and how it ended.
On Sunday, India’s defense minister said New Delhi sent a bold message to terrorists, but the Air Force welcomed its “accuracy and professionalism.”
The round of combat began in Kashmir, which has been a flashpoint due to India-Pakistan relations since the two countries became independent from Britain in 1947.
Both countries, emerging from the bloody division of Britain’s India (Hindu majority India and Muslim majority Pakistan), have fully advocated Kashmir despite only controlling a portion of it. A few months after their independence, they fought the beginning of three wars over the territory.
On April 22, the gunman fired on tourists at a popular travel destination in the Indian-controlled mountainous region of Pahargam, Kashmir. At least 25 Indian citizens and one Nepal were killed in the massacre.
New Delhi quickly denounced Islamabad, accusing him of supporting “cross-border terrorism.” Pakistan has denied any involvement in the attack.
Two weeks after the Pahargam Massacre, India launched a series of strikes in Pakistan and parts of Kashmir it holds on Wednesday, calling the attack “Operation Sindoor.”
The theatres of conflict since then are much wider than in previous rounds of combat, and both sides are deeply surprised by the other territories.
Just two days ago, JD Vance downplayed the possibility of US influence as the Indian-Pakistan conflict swirled.
“What we can do is try to encourage these people to escalate a bit, but basically none of our businesses are involved in the middle of a war that has nothing to do with America’s ability to control it,” Vance told Fox News Thursday.
Vance’s face is a measure of how much interest the United States and the wider international community are in by the escalating conflict between the two nuclear forces.
Trump administration officials told CNN after receiving astonishing information on the extent to which the conflict escalated on Friday, the State Department felt they had no choice but to play a bigger role in the talks between the two sides.
Although initially it appears to be fragile, both sides appear to support the conditions for a ceasefire on Sunday.
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Mithri accused Pakistan of repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement on Saturday after explosions were heard in both India and Pakistan-controlled portions of Kashmir.
Pakistan also accused India of committing violations, but emphasized that it is “still committed to the faithful implementation of the ceasefire.”
Since then, CNN understands that there have been no fresh missile strikes or drone flights. However, Indian defence sources told CNN Sunday that the air force’s operational preparations remain high.
In the wake of the tourist massacre, the two announced many other retaliations: visa suspension, trade bans, India has halted participation in important water sharing agreements. It is still unknown whether such a move will be reversed.
Correction: This work has been updated with the correct date of the Indian-controlled Kashmir tourist genocide.
