Ceasefire negotiated directly between India and Pakistan: EAM Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has confirmed that the cessation of firing between India and Pakistan was directly negotiated between the two countries without external mediation, despite outreach from the United States and other nations.

In an interview with Dutch broadcaster NOS, Jaishankar revealed that the breakthrough came on May 10, when the Pakistani military initiated contact through a military hotline, expressing readiness to stop the exchange of fire. "So, on the 10th of May, it was the Pakistani army which sent a message that they were ready to stop firing, and we responded accordingly," he said.

Tensions had escalated sharply following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which killed 26 civilians. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting nine known terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The strikes reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 100 militants linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

The situation intensified when Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling and drone incursions, prompting a second phase of Indian strikes on May 10. Jaishankar detailed that Indian forces launched attacks on eight Pakistani airbases, damaging runways, air-defence systems, and command centres. “We basically made these bases non-functional... This is the kind of thing, you hit a runway, you make the airbase non-operational, or you go after what is an air-defence command control system,” he said.

According to Jaishankar, this decisive action led to a change in posture from the Pakistani side. “That I think compelled the Pakistani military to accept that we need to stop firing at each other. At the moment, there is no firing and there has been some repositioning of forces accordingly,” he told NOS.

While the U.S. and other countries played a diplomatic role, including calls from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, Jaishankar underscored that the truce was ultimately arranged bilaterally. “The cessation of firing and military action was something which was negotiated directly between India and Pakistan... their general has to call our general and say this and that is what happened,” he stated.

Addressing India's strategic shift, Jaishankar reiterated the Modi government's commitment to retaliate against any terror attack. “Our government has been very clear... if there is such an attack, there will be a response,” he said, adding that the nine locations targeted in the operation were all listed by the United Nations as known terror sites.

When asked if Operation Sindoor is still ongoing, Jaishankar clarified that while active firing has stopped, the operation continues as a standing message of deterrence. “The operation continues because there is a clear message... If the terrorists are in Pakistan, we will hit them where they are,” he said. However, he emphasised that continued operations do not imply ongoing military exchanges.

The conflict marked one of the most intense episodes of military confrontation between India and Pakistan in recent years. While the guns have fallen silent for now, both sides remain alert, with a visible shift in India's approach to cross-border terrorism and military response.