After days of escalating tension and the threat of war, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Saturday evening confirmed that India had agreed to a ceasefire following outreach from Pakistan.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that the stoppage of firing and military action “was worked out directly between the two countries.”
“DGMO (Director General of Military Operations) of Pakistan called up the DGMO of India at 3:35 pm. They agreed that both sides will stop all firing and military action from land, air, and sea starting from 5 pm onwards,” said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, adding that the DGMOs will speak again at noon on May 12.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also posted on X: “India and Pakistan have today worked out an understanding on stoppage of firing and military action.”
Earlier, US President Donald Trump claimed that New Delhi and Islamabad had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also confirmed the ceasefire, saying: “Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect. Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity!”
However, for people living along the border, the announcement brought a mix of relief and resentment.
Ayushi Malik, a resident of Jammu, answered the correspondent’s call with a “Congratulations!”
Still hugging her mother, Malik said, “Since last night things have been dystopian and scary. I didn’t even get time to properly process things.”
She recounted how sirens went off at 5 am, followed by continuous explosions.
“Just before the ceasefire, I was planning to leave our home with my family,” she added.
A resident of Jammu city, she said the sound of explosions grew louder by the minute, with shelling just five kilometers away from her house.
Still, the fear and grief linger.
“We are not just news. Since this morning, I’ve been meeting friends and neighbors. We’re anxious. Many have already left their homes. I’m still contemplating. There’s so much grief. But right now, we will take whatever comes our way,” she said.
A Kashmiri journalist based in Srinagar told Maktoob: “I know someone from Poonch whose acquaintance was killed in the Pakistani shelling. This is not news to us — this is our reality. A friend said she was thinking about the people living in border areas. We are living that reality. This is a peaceful moment now that the ceasefire has happened.”
Another resident from Kashmir, who didn’t want to be named, said the past few days had exposed deep political fault lines.
“It also shows how fragile our lives are—and that no one really cares,” she added.
