ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that the ceasefire between Pakistan and India had been extended until Sunday, May 18.
Addressing the Senate on Thursday, Dar said that the development came during a third hotline contact between the director general of military operations (DGMO) of the two sides on May 14 in a continued effort to ease cross-border tensions.
After the US brokered a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed countries, Pakistan’s chief military operations Major General Kashif Abdullah and his Indian counterpart Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai held the first round of talks via hotline on May 10.
“During the DGMOs’ conversation, the ceasefire was extended until May 12. When the DGMOs spoke again on May 12, the ceasefire was extended until May 14. Further talks on May 14 led to the ceasefire being extended until May 18,” the DPM told the upper house.
Moreover, Dar added, Now it [ceasefire] has been extended till [May] 18, so obviously, now ultimately, things will go to dialogue.”
He further added that these talks are military-to-military communications, and then political dialogue will take place.
Dar emphasized that Pakistan did not request a ceasefire from anyone. He clarified that on the evening of May 10, the first call regarding a ceasefire came from the US Secretary of State, who conveyed that New Delhi sought a truce.
Pakistan, he said, expressed willingness only after receiving similar calls from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and China.
Addressing the House, he noted that the Pakistan Air Force shot down six Indian fighter jets without any loss to its own aircraft and confirmed that all eighty Indian drones had been neutralized.
