India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday, after hours of US-led negotiations, ending the most severe military conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals in decades. However, hours later, they accused one another of breaking the agreement.
India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said late on Saturday that Pakistan had repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement between the two countries.
“We call upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility,” he told a news conference in New Delhi. Misri added that the Indian army was “retaliating” against what he described as a “border intrusion.”
While in Islamabad, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry blamed Indian forces for initiating the ceasefire violation.
The ministry said Pakistan remains committed to the agreement, and its forces are handling the situation responsibly and with restraint.
Earlier, the foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said that Pakistan would consider de-escalation if India stopped any further attacks.
According to Dar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey played an important role in facilitating the ceasefire deal, which came into effect at 4:30 pm local time and led to the reopening of the country's airspace for all types of flights.
Indian Wing Commander Vyomika Singh told a news conference in New Delhi that her country was committed to “non-escalation, provided the Pakistani side reciprocates.”
US President Donald Trump, who announced the truce on his Truth Social platform, hailed both nations for the agreement.
“Congratulations to both countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” read his post.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani official claimed at least 11 people were killed and 56 others wounded in what he said was Indian shelling in several areas near the Line of Control in Kashmir.
The country's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said Pakistan had responded after India’s overnight missile attacks at air bases and other places.
India denies hitting civilian targets.
Gunmen shot and killed at least 26 tourists at Pahalgam resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir on 22 April, which was a major shift in a regional conflict that has largely spared civilians. The unidentified gunmen also wounded 17 other people.
A group called Kashmir Resistance, which India accuses Pakistan of backing, claimed the attack.
The fresh round of confrontation was yet another escalation of a decades-long conflict over the disputed Kashmir region that began after a bloody partition of India in 1947.
