New Delhi/Islamabad
CNN
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India and Pakistan engaged in the most intense fighting in decades in a four-day escalating conflict that included fighters, missiles and drones packed with explosives. It ended almost as abruptly as it began.
The new details reveal how the phone and diplomatic gusts ultimately led to a ceasefire between nuclear-armed neighbors and historic enemy.
And although the Indian and Pakistan accounts differ for some details, both sides agree that breakthroughs began to arrive on Saturday afternoon.
The ceasefire between Islamabad and New Delhi, which had been working for several days, according to Pakistani officials, was agreed after an Indian military personnel had sent a “hotline” message to Indian counterparts, Indian troops on Sunday provided new details on how the unexpected deal was hit.
During a briefing on Sunday, India’s military operations director said officials had received messages from his counterparts in Pakistan asking for communication as they flocked to the “wargames” early morning strikes from Pakistan on Saturday.
Pakistani forces confirmed on Sunday that it reached out but said they had contacted an intermediary regarding a ceasefire with India. Pakistani officials involved in the talks told CNN on Saturday that the US is making an important call, but did not identify which country.
According to Lt. Gen. Rajiv Gai, India’s military operations director, the ceasefire agreement was reached on a phone call held at 3:35pm local time. He said further calls will be made to “discuss the modalities that allow for longevity.” Pakistan has not confirmed whether the call was made, but officials involved in the diplomatic efforts said Pakistan had received an unspecified “guarantee” from the US that India would comply with the ceasefire.
The latest details of how the agreement, first announced by US President Donald Trump, came to the most clear picture of how Islamabad and New Delhi communicated directly to end the spiral conflict amid growing international pressure.
His true social status, Trump said on Saturday that the US brokered the end of the battle and blessed the leaders of both countries “with common sense and great intelligence.” Islamabad praised our involvement, but New Delhi downplayed it – portraying a ceasefire as a victory, saying that neighbors worked together “directly” in the ceasefire.
India’s military operations director Gai said India approached Islamabad on Wednesday.
India was not designated – it requested that it “was turned down and rejected on the indication that a serious reaction would be inevitable,” Guy told reporters. Pakistani forces said they had been approached by India earlier in the week regarding the ceasefire.
“The Indians have requested a ceasefire since May 8 and 9 after the operation began. We have told them they will return after retaliation,” Pakistan Major General Ahmed Sharif Choudhry said at a press conference on Sunday. After Pakistan’s military operation, “We arrived at international interlocutors and responded to requests for a ceasefire,” he said.
On Wednesday, Pakistani officials involved in diplomatic efforts after India’s first strike said they hoped that Pakistan was working with the US and that those conversations would have positive results.
He said Pakistan would give diplomacy a chance and refrain from retaliation as the US and others attempted diplomacy.
Pakistani officials said they were shocked when India attacked several Pakistani air bases early on Saturday morning as they thought diplomacy was still being played. Pakistan quickly fought back, he said, more difficult than they had planned before.
Pakistani forces called strikes at multiple Indian military bases “eye eyes” and said they targeted Indian air bases used to launch missiles in Pakistan.
Escalation strikes from both sides forced existing diplomatic efforts to HighGear to mediate the end of the battle, including those in the US, China, and Saudi Arabia.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that he and Vice President JD Vance had spoken to the political and military leadership of India and Pakistan to ensure an agreement before the situation worsens.
According to multiple sources from the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vance has pushed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find a potential “rump” that escalates tensions. Modi heard but did not commit, the source said.
According to a read from China’s Foreign Ministry, the Chinese Foreign Minister also spoke separately with senior officials in India and Pakistan, expressing Beijing’s support for the ceasefire.
Before 8am, 8am, around 5pm in India and Pakistan, Trump announced a ceasefire on true society, saying, “We are pleased to announce that after a long night of discussions via the US, India and Pakistan have agreed to a complete and immediate ceasefire.”
Shortly after Trump’s post, both sides confirmed a ceasefire.
India’s Foreign Ministry said the agreement was “directly between the two countries,” disregarding US involvement and contradicting Trump’s claims.
However, Pakistani officials praised Washington. “We appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his active role in regional peace,” Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif said.
A Pakistani source familiar with negotiations told CNN that the US, Rubio in particular, has helped to strike the deal, painting a picture of the suspected consultations, trusting missile attacks from India only in the final hours before a ceasefire is confirmed.
It’s no surprise that these bitter rivals give contradictory explanations of how the deal was hit.
India, considered a regional superpower, has long resisted international mediation, but analysts say Pakistan, which relies heavily on foreign aid, tends to welcome it.
The Indian military’s latest explanation of what happened raises further questions about Washington’s role in mediating the ceasefire and what exactly was.
For India and Pakistan, this ceasefire appears to be primarily violating cooperation despite violating each other’s early charges – has provided many necessary relief to both sides.
CNN’s Alayna Treene contributed to this report.
