In a major step towards de-escalation, senior military leaders from India and Pakistan are to meet today at 12 PM. The meeting is a follow-up of the “understanding” on May 10 to suspend all military operations along land, air, and sea after four intense days of cross-border drone and missile attacks. Representing India in the DGMO-level talks will be Lieutenant General Rajeev Ghai, Air Marshal AK Bharti, and Vice Admiral AN Pramod. Pakistan will be represented by Major General Kashif Chaudhry. The three senior Indian officers are also expected to address the media later today, with a particular focus on the Indian Air Force’s strikes under Operation Sindoor.
The ceasefire proposal was initiated by the Pakistani DGMO in a phone call to his Indian counterpart on May 10. The Indian government, after assessing the situation, agreed to the understanding, which was publicly confirmed by both sides the same day. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri subsequently announced that further DGMO-level talks would be held on May 12.
Tensions have remained high between the two nuclear-armed neighbors following India’s precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.The operation was initiated following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed.
India claimed that the strikes were made with precision to minimize civilian casualties, and Pakistan retaliated with attempted attacks on Indian military and civilian targets, escalating the conflict. Even after the ceasefire agreement, Pakistan breached the accord soon after with shelling and firing along the Line of Control (LoC). However, Indian Army sources reported a largely peaceful night across Jammu & Kashmir and border areas on Sunday and Monday—the first in nearly three weeks.
The Indian government has reiterated that engagement with Pakistan will remain strictly at the DGMO level. No diplomatic or political dialogue is planned, and contentious issues such as Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty will not be on the table.
“Our position on Kashmir is unequivocal—there is only one issue left, and that is the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. If they want to talk about handing over terrorists, that’s a conversation we’ll have. Nothing else is up for discussion,” said a senior government source.
India has also categorically rejected any third-party mediation, including a recent proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to mediate on Kashmir. While Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accepted the offer, India rejected it outright, asserting that third-party intervention is neither necessary nor desired.
Authorities explained that the May 10 agreement is not a formal ceasefire but an initial move to ease hostilities. Any subsequent talks, they emphasized, will be strictly confined to military-level interaction.
