India, Pakistan militaries to talk as ceasefire holds
Aftab Ahmed and Shivam Patel |
The military operations chiefs of India and Pakistan are set to discuss the next steps for the nuclear-armed neighbours, India says, as a ceasefire returns calm to the border.
There were no reports of explosions or projectiles overnight after some initial ceasefire violations, with the Indian Army saying Sunday was the first peaceful night in recent days along the border, although some schools remain closed.
Saturday’s ceasefire in the Himalayan region, announced by US President Donald Trump, followed four days of intense firing and diplomacy and pressure from Washington.
India’s military sent a “hotline” message to Pakistan on Sunday about the previous day’s ceasefire violations, flagging New Delhi’s intent to respond to further such incidents, a top Indian army officer said.
A spokesman for Pakistan’s military denied any violations.
In a statement on Saturday, India’s foreign ministry said both sides’ directors-general of military operations would speak with each other on Monday.
Pakistan did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the talks.
The arch rivals had targeted each other’s military installations with missiles and drones, killing dozens of civilians as relations turned sour after India blamed Pakistan for an attack that killed 26 tourists.
Pakistan denies the accusations and has called for a neutral investigation.
India said it launched strikes on nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir on Wednesday, but Islamabad has said those were civilian sites.
Pakistan halted trading on Monday for an hour after its benchmark share index rose nearly nine per cent, having recovered most of its losses in the past three sessions after India’s strikes.
Late on Friday, the International Monetary Fund approved a fresh $US1.4 billion ($A2.2 billion) loan to Pakistan under its climate resilience fund and approved the first review of its $US7 billion program.
Indian benchmarks jumped about 2.5 per cent in early trade after the Nifty index lost 1.5 per cent in the prior three sessions.
Worries about the conflict also erased $US83 billion from equities in the two days until Friday.
While Islamabad has thanked Washington for facilitating the ceasefire and welcomed Trump’s offer to mediate on the Kashmir dispute with India, New Delhi has not commented on US involvement in the truce or talks at a neutral site.
India’s main opposition Congress party, which had backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the April 22 attack, called for a special parliament session on the latest developments with Pakistan.
“The government should also give its stand on the statements made by America on the Kashmir issue, as this is a bilateral issue,” Congress leader Sachin Pilot said in a post on X on Sunday.
India, which says disputes with Pakistan have to be resolved directly by the neighbours, has rejected the involvement of any third party.
Hindu-majority India and Muslim Pakistan both rule part of the Himalayan region of Kashmir, but claim it in full.
India blames Pakistan for an insurgency in its part of Kashmir that began in 1989, but Pakistan says it provides only moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiri separatists.
Reuters
